Here Comes the Sun
by MiaLunaAmore
Summary: An alternate story of Twilight, where Bella moves to Forks and falls in love with Jacob. When she meets Edward and notices his interest in her, will conflict ensue? Will she stay with Jacob or go with Edward?
1. A Change in Scenery

As I sat on the plane that was taking me from blissful sunny, dry Phoenix Arizona in the middle of a hot August summer to it's polar opposite, wet, rainy Forks Washington, I replayed the day's events through my mind. I had finally moved out of my mother's house, and had gone off to live with my father Charlie. I wanted to spend my last two years of high school with my dad, since I hardly ever saw him, and I didn't want to be a third wheel to my mother and her new husband. I didn't mind at all, it was not about her at all, it was me wanting to go out in the world and explore. At least, that's what I told her.

Truthfully, my mother was never home, and it was straining her to have to choose between me or Phil, her new husband. And after all the years she had single-handedly spent raising me, who was I to intrude on the happiness she so thoroughly deserved? And plus, I might be able to get closer to my father who I only saw once a summer. Although, it had been a number of years since I had been in Forks in all of its damp glory. As the plane flew over the landscape, and began to slightly descend, I saw a change in the scenery that I had observed while we had left Arizona's long dry tan and yellowed earth to Washington's green bunches of plants. The sign to fasten seat belts flashed annoyingly constant as the stewardesses came out to remind us yet again how to fasten our seatbelts if we had somehow forgotten after the first time they had explained it to us. In all truth, I knew my annoyance at the stewardesses wasn't really because of their concern for the passengers' safety, I was more so anxious about seeing my father again, and actually living here in Forks for the rest of my high school career. I took a deep breath and prepared to meet my father at the baggage claim, where we had agreed to meet.

I stood on my tiptoes with my beaten up simple black suitcase to see where Charlie was. Finally, I saw him in his Forks' Town Sheriff uniform and rushed forwards. He enveloped me in a hug and greeted me. "Welcome Bells. It's good to have you back." I smiled in and hugged him. It had been too long since I had last seen Charlie, and even though I detested Forks, I did like seeing him.

"Good to see you too Dad." We slowly left the airport and got through the parking lot to Charlie's police cruiser. I groaned mentally at the cruiser. People tend to notice law enforcement vehicles, unfortunately for me. I wanted to blend in at this school, and of course, in a small town, nothing blends easily. Like adding a drop of food coloring to a pitcher of water, one small thing makes a big difference that no one fails to notice. As we drove along, Charlie tried to find out what had changed since we had last seen each other.

"So…how was school this year? Anything interesting happening?"

"Um, nothing really… I finished AP Bio and passed the exam. Nothing much outside of that." Life in Phoenix was pretty normal. Sure I had lived with Mom, which never proved to be dull, seeing as she always got these wacky ideas, but other than that, nothing really happened.

"Any boyfriends?" he asked innocently while looking straight ahead. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Uh no Dad. No guys. At all."

He was left without knowing exactly what to say, so he just said, "Oh." My social life had pretty much started and ended in Phoenix. I had a few friends in class, but I didn't go out of my way to hang out with them or anything. I kept to myself most of the time, much to my mother's dismay. She was always encouraging for me to get out of my shell. The rest of the conversation with Charlie improved after that awkward question though. We talked about the weather (it was rainy, of course) and then Charlie went on a little tangent on how much I've grown since he had last seen me. By the end of that conversation, we had reached the house, and I dragged my bag up to where my bedroom was and began to unpack. Charlie had offered to help me, but I had my own special way of organizing things in my room, so I politely declined and he went to watch the tail end of a game on the TV.

I finished unpacking in about 15 minutes, and smelled something burning, and rushed downstairs. In a town with this much water, the house couldn't have possibly caught on fire, so I had no pressing worry, but you never knew. As I followed the scent, I came into the kitchen, where Charlie was attempting to make fish of some sort. I opened a window to let out a bit of smoke that had gathered from his 'cooking' as he turned around, surprised by my sudden appearance.

"Bells! I was just making supper." I suppressed a laugh.

"Um Dad…do you want me to cook? I learned how to a while back and we can have pan-fried fish instead of lox." He grinned and nodded.

"There's more fish in the freezer, it might be best to start from scratch. I'm not the best at domestic stuff..." his voice trailed off. I hurried forward and dumped the fish in the frying pan in the trash and got some more fish out of the freezer and into the pan. I added seasoning to it; lemon juice, salt and pepper, and a hint of garlic salt, and slowly cooked the fish. As I left the fish on the stove to cook, I searched the pantry for a decent side to the fish and settled on a bag of rice. I grabbed a pot and boiled some rice in it and as soon as it was done, strained it and put it in a bowl with a topping of butter. I flipped the fish onto a platter after checking to see if it was thoroughly cooked and put it on the table along with the bowl of rice. Charlie, who had been observing this silently, grabbed silverware, dishes, and glasses and began to set the table. He poured himself a glass of milk, and then I poured myself one as well. He took a bite and his jaw dropped.

"Bells, this is amazing. It's much better than what I've ever made anyway. Where did you learn how to cook like this?" I shrugged.

"Mom had a phase where she wanted to be able to cook like everyone she saw on Food Network. So she signed us both up for cooking lessons. I found that I kind of liked it so I took over cooking in the home. She's not exactly the best chef, but I still loved everything she made." I smiled at the memory at her botched recipes, like chocolate covered asparagus tarts and orange gravy with potatoes. Charlie turned his attention to the food, devouring it like he had never eaten before. Suddenly, the phone rang, jolting him out of his focus on the food. He jumped out of his seat and picked it up.

"Hello? Oh hey Billy. Oh it's ready already? Great. We'll be there in twenty minutes, okay? Great, see you then." I raised my eyebrow as Charlie took his seat again. "We're going over to the Blacks' after dinner, Bells. You remember them, right? You played with his daughters a while back during the fishing trips. Anyways, they're gone now, but he has a son about your age. You guys can hang out while we go there for a while. You don't mind, do you?" I smiled. Charlie was so eager to see his friend and presumably show him how his daughter had come back home and how much I had grown up. I couldn't possibly say no.

"Sure dad. I just have to clean up after supper and then we'll go right away."


	2. Monster Sized Worms

True to my word, I cleaned up and off we went to the Blacks'. As we rounded the curve into a long driveway, we parked and went up to a small house with a ramp leading to the front door. We walked up the ramp and rang the doorbell. Billy Black answered the door, a smile lifting all the creases in his face that wrinkled as easily as worn leather. His skin was a rich color that was much darker than my cream skin, but only a tiny bit darker than a nice tan that most of the girls back in Phoenix frequently got on each school vacation. He was sitting in a wheelchair, but was as agile as me and Charlie, or in my case, much more agile than me. Billy offered his hand out to me.

"Bella! It's been a long time since I've seen you. You've grown up quite beautifully. You'll have to watch out for the boys in town going after her, eh Charlie?" Charlie's eyes tightened slightly. I expect this was the exact news he was hoping not to hear. Billy laughed in a carefree way. "She'll be fine Charlie. After all, everybody in the town is intimidated by Chief Swan." Billy winked behind Charlie's back and I stifled a small smile of my own. I had almost completely forgotten about Billy, but it was good to have reintroduced ourselves, because he was such an interesting, optimistic spirit. Billy looked around in an almost confused sense. "Now where is Jacob? He was just here…" his voice trailed off and his forehead crinkled. "JACOB!" he yelled. A tall, younger version of Billy ambled around the corner with an embarrassed smile. He was much taller than me, although Charlie said he was about my age, he looked a bit younger in the way he carried himself. He was not yet comfortable in his own skin. However, he had a very interesting skin…

He was easily 5'9" and had skin the same color as Billy's. His hair was a deep midnight black and his eyes were a luxuriously warm shade of brown. As embarrassed as his smile was, it was soft and beautiful. Overall, Jacob was quite…handsome. He stepped forward towards Charlie and me and offered his hand out to me.

"Hi Bella. You probably don't remember me, but as you heard, I'm Jacob." His voice was overwhelmingly pleasant and warm. It was nice, like the sun had just entered this rainy little part of the world. I smiled.

"I don't remember you at all I'm afraid, but it's good to meet you." I took his hand and shook it gingerly. Charlie and Billy, satisfied that we had properly met each other, went off somewhere else, leaving me and Jacob in the living room. Jacob started walking towards the sofa, and I followed. As we sank down onto the cushions, I looked at my feet. Small talk was not my strong point. Luckily, it seemed to be Jacob's.

"Charlie has been talking about nothing but you coming for the past month. Billy has had to hear it over and over again." He rolled his eyes and nudged me in a teasing manner. I smiled. Jacob continued, "Billy tried to show me some old pictures that Charlie had a while back, but they do you no justice. You were like 5 and it would appear that you had an extreme interest in staying as far from worms as possible." I cringed slightly. I knew exactly what picture he was talking about. Me frantically trying to get away from a worm Charlie dangled over my head, while Charlie was almost in tears laughing so hard. One of the many fishing trips that I had tried so hard to forget. Jacob laughed at my expression.

"Laugh if you want, but those worms were disgusting. And freakishly long. I do not know how in the world they managed to catch such monster worms. Probably injected them with steroids or something…" Jacob laughed at me, like I was actually funny. I just shook my head and rolled my eyes. Monster sized worms were no joking manner. I tried to change the subject from my mortification as a five year old to something about Jacob. "So, how old are you? If we never met, I'm guessing that you're a bit younger?" He nodded before responding.

"Yeah, I'm 15, but I turn 16 in late February. How old are you?" he asked politely.

"Um, I'm 16 but I turn 17 next month in September." I picked at the sleeves of my shirt as I said it. I had forgotten it was so close. I hoped that Charlie wasn't planning on getting anything that could be considered expensive. A card would suffice.

"Really? What day?" Jacob leaned forward with a curious glint in his eyes.

"The thirteenth. I haven't had a birthday in Forks since I was about 5 though, so I have no clue what'll happen, or who should come." My brow furrowed. If I did, by some odd chance decide to have a birthday party, who on earth would I invite? School would have just barely started, and I certainly wouldn't know anyone besides Billy and Jacob. This same idea had apparently just occurred to Jacob too though,

"Who should come? Me and Billy of course. We'll have dinner and Billy and Charlie can watch the game and we can go to the beach or out to Port Angeles. We'll have a blast." He seemed confident in my 'party' being a success. I couldn't help but smile for the hundredth time this evening. Something about talking to him just seemed right. I suddenly realized how close we were sitting to one another. There was one, two inches in between us at the most. As soon as I noticed this, however, I heard Charlie call out almost excitedly.

"Bells? Jake? Come out to the garage for a sec!" Jacob threw a quick smile in my direction.

"Guess we better get going…Charlie hates waiting." I nodded. I knew just how little patience Charlie had when he was anxious about something. Although, he sounded excited for a reason I couldn't fathom. We began to make our way through the house, Jacob leading the way to the garage. On the way, I saw pictures of the family, of Jacob and his sisters and Billy. Then I noticed some older pictures with Jacob as a baby, and Billy standing with another woman who must have been Jacob's mother and Jacob's sisters. I squinted at the picture; she had long dark hair and a smile identical to Jacob's. So that's where he got it.

"You coming Bella?" Jacob's voice shook me out of the little train of thought I had been in.

"Yeah, just hold on..." I rushed to catch up with him and we went into the garage together.


	3. Surprise!

I came in to see Charlie and Billy alongside an old reddish orange truck. It was huge, and looked like it could have plowed through any little sports car of today without a scratch. Charlie looked almost ready to explode with the smile that was on his face. My brow furrowed in confusion. It was an old truck. Why would he be so excited? If the truck was an antique, then it was definitely not in mint condition. I didn't know much about cars, but I know that much at least. Finally, Charlie spoke.

"Bells, I know that you probably don't want me driving you to school, what with me having the cruiser and all, so…I bought this truck from Billy. Jake's worked a lot on the engine, so the truck runs great. Think of it as an early birthday present." I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. In no way had I ever expected a truck for a birthday present. Especially not almost a month in advance.

"Dad, this is too much…" I found myself at a loss for words. Jacob rolled his eyes and let out a snort as Charlie shook his head and Billy just observed. "I'm serious! It doesn't make any-" I tried to continue but was cut off by Jacob.

"Jeez Bella, it's an ancient truck, and it didn't cost much, believe me. Don't worry, me and Billy will still get you gifts for your actual birthday." He cast a sarcastic smile to my obvious embarrassment to gifts. I returned the smirk with a glare. He laughed at my expression. "Bells, take a joke. Really, the truck wasn't expensive at all, and you need a car. Or would you prefer to be taken around town by Chief Swan?" He raised his eyebrow all-knowingly at the last sentence. Of course, then Charlie decided it was the perfect time to jump in as well.

"Bells, it'll be great! You already have your license, and this way you get a bit of freedom. You can even come out and visit Jake and Billy!" Charlie seemed very excited about this fact. I decided to concede defeat and attempt to graciously accept the truck. I didn't seem to have a choice in the matter.

"Fine, fine, I won't put up a fuss for the truck. Thank you Dad, and thank you Jacob and Billy for fixing it up for me. I really appreciate it." Suddenly an idea popped into my head. "Dad, in return for the truck, I get all cooking duties. No arguments." This seemed to satisfy Charlie.

"Sure thing Bells! You're a much better cook than I am anyways." Billy snorted under his breath and decided to contribute to the conversation.

"You couldn't get much worse than Charlie's cooking…"

"Oh yeah? Well at least I can catch dinner for Bella to cook."

"You challenging me, Chief?"

"Yup Chief." As they playfully exchanged their conversation, I briefly remembered in the back of my mind that there were two chiefs in the room. Charlie was Chief of Forks Police, and Billy was the Chief of the Quileute tribe.

"Well then, Chief Swan. I suppose we'll have to have a contest to see who can catch dinner. Next weekend?"

"Sounds good." I rolled my eyes at their competitive exchange. Sometimes Charlie reminded me so much of the guys at my school, especially when he was with Billy. They were competitive comrades, through and through. Charlie checked his watch. "Bells, why don't you have Jake show you how the truck works? Me and Billy should probably see the game." I nodded. Charlie loved his football games, although I found nothing compelling about throwing a ball and chasing after it or running with it, while trying not to get tackled to the ground. But, then again, I also didn't exactly understand the scoring system or the point of the game. So I was probably not one to talk. As they went into the living room, Jacob and I slowly followed after. Billy glanced backwards, and must have realized I had no interest in actually watching the football game.

"Jake, why don't you and Bells go out? She can take the truck, and you guys can go somewhere in Port Angeles. Me and Charlie are gonna be watching this game for a few hours." Jake looked at me, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"That sounds…fine by me. What do you think, Bella?" Jacob asked. I thought about it briefly; Jacob was a family friend after all, so I didn't really have anything to worry about. And plus, I did want to get to know him a bit better, he was a funny guy.

"Sure. Sounds good to me, we'll come back around say, eleven?" I estimated that would be the end of the game, and give Billy and Charlie plenty of time to talk about it and overanalyze each little part. Charlie nodded

"Alright! See you later. Here's a bit of money, Bells, just in case you kids decide to get food or something." Charlie handed me $30 and I thanked him quietly. I looked at Jacob, who held the truck's keys in his hand, and started walking towards the garage. He followed silently behind me.


	4. Fore!

Jacob opened the garage door as I gingerly got into the truck's cab and strapped myself in. Within moments, Jacob was also inside the truck and buckled his seatbelt. I started the truck with a enormous, but strong roar. The truck was old, but still had some kick in it. I backed out of the garage and into the road and it wasn't long before Jacob tried to initiate conversation.  
"So, I know this might be nosy and all, seeing as you just got here, but what made you change your mind and decide to live with Charlie? Not that I'm complaining of course," he said with a wink, "but I have never seen Charlie so excited. Billy says that this is the best he's seen Charlie since he was, well, since he was married to your mom." I focused steadfast on the road before answering.

"Well…I'm sure you know about why my mother divorced Charlie and all, right?" Jacob shook his head. "She got tired of living in such a small, rainy town, and after a while, she began to fall out of love with Charlie. I was really small at the time, so I didn't know exactly what was going on, I just knew that I was going with her to somewhere that was much drier and that I wouldn't see Charlie very often. So, now, thirteen years later, she met this guy named Phil. They fell in love, and since he's a ball player, she had to constantly choose between going with him to games, or staying with me. I didn't want to make her choose, and I wanted to kind of reconnect with Charlie. So, I decided to come here." He mulled this over quietly for a few minutes.

"It's good that you're trying to be a part of both of your parents' lives. A lot of kids underestimate that." He seemed at a loss for words, so I decided to try and change the topic.

"So, what can we do around here?" He scrunched his brow in thought.

"Well, there's a few things we can do. If you keep taking this road until you get to the highway, we'll get to Port Angeles a lot faster, and I can direct you to places from there." I nodded.

"Sounds good to me. What kind of 'things' can we do, exactly?"

"Port Angeles has a mall, mini-golf, bowling, and a few resteraunts scattered around. Dinner's out, because I'm guessing you already had something?" I nodded quickly. "So, that leaves the mall, mini-golf, or bowling. What do you feel like?"

"Well, bowling could be catastrophic, seeing as I would probably drop the ball on my foot." Jake looked at me oddly. "I'm not exactly coordinated." A light of understanding swept into his eyes. "And the mall is probably going to close semi-soon seeing as it's almost 8…so that leaves mini-golf?" He smiled.

"This should be interesting…." I looked questioningly at him from the corner of my eye. "Well if you're not coordinated, you'll probably end up hitting yourself on the head with a golf club." I winced. I hadn't considered that. "But since you're so little, you'll probably get a smaller golf club that won't hurt as much." I glared. He was right of course, because I was petite, I probably would end up hitting myself on the head.

"Nevertheless, we will play mini-golf, and I'll have fun beating you!" I announced triumphantly. He smirked.  
"We'll see about that." As we took the exits he instructed, and playfully talked about beating each other in mini-golf, we finally drove up to a little miniature golf and ice cream shop. There was literally nobody else around, although it looked like it had a variety of different holes to shoot into. There were the traditional water traps, and windmills and castles, and also a little forest as well. We pulled into the parking lot, and got our golf clubs from the girl behind the desk. As was expected, I got a small pink golf club, while Jake got the adult black golf club. We took our golf balls, mine a navy blue, and his hunter green, and went onto the course. At the first hole, he took three tries to get his ball through the narrow path that led up to a castle, and another two to get it in the actual hole. I took half of his shots, and we marked it on our scorecard. He quickly caught up, as he got a hole-in-one, and was able to get exactly my strokes for each hole, or one below it. As we got to the eighteenth hole, we were tied, more or less.

The eighteenth hole was a water trap. Not a small one, where you have to shoot the ball over a tiny river, a big one where water pumped from a waterfall across the hole, and across to it's drain. There was easily four feet of water inbetween where the ball left the Astroturf to the other side. Because of such a gap, a bridge had been made for golfers to cross over to the other side. Jake easily got his ball across, but it wasn't as easy for me. As I hit it, it immediately 'plunked' into the water, and as I reached into the water to get it, my feet began to slip on the wet Astroturf, and into the river of water. I landed on my butt and was sitting waist high in water. Needless to say, I was soaked.

Jake started laughing hysterically. He pulled me out laughing so hard that he was almost crying. I sent him a dirty look to convey my feelings about it. He finally slowed his laughter to throaty chuckles, and shook his head at me.

"You weren't kidding about the uncoordination, were you?" I glared upward.

"It could have happened to anyone." I said, crossing my arms indignantly.

"Yeah, but it happened to you." He laughed briefly again, and then looked at me, "Are you okay? That looked like it might have hurt." I shrugged, it certainly wasn't the worst I had ever done.

"I'm fine, I'm just soaked." I let out a brief chuckle at myself. Jake began to take off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. "Jake, what are you doing? I don't need this-" He cut me off before I could interrupt.

"Bella, it's nine o'clock at night, and you're soaking wet. If you catch a cold, I'm going to get blamed. Let's finish off our round of golf and then get back to Billy's." I nodded, and burrowed into his jacket. It was thick fleece, and was a deep chocolate brown, which was just a shade darker than his eyes. It smelled like bonfires and vanilla, in an oddly comforting way. We finished the game and got into the truck right before it started to rain.

As we talked in the car, time seemed to literally fly by. He talked about his friends in school, and two of his best friends, Quil and Embry. He told stories about some embarrassing moments that they'd gone through together, and some of them made me laugh so hard, I had to remember to focus on driving. We literally arrived back at the Blacks' in no time, and as we drove into the garage, we sat there for a minute. Jake put his arm around the back of my seat.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," he said, with a slight twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. I picked at his jacket's sleeves.

"Me too. We definitely have to hang out again soon." His smile grew bigger.

"Definitely." I suddenly noticed I was still wearing his coat. I shrugged out of it and handed it to him.

"Thanks for lending me your coat when I erm…feel into the water trap." I blushed at the memory of my uncoordination. He laughed at the mention of it.

"No problem. Just be more careful next time, okay?" I nodded, and we got out of the car and into the house. Charlie and Billy turned around at the sound of our footsteps, and their eyes widened slightly at my appearance.

"What…?" Charlie began to ask

"Water trap." I said sheepishly. He shook his head as Billy let out a small chuckle.

"Alright…we'd better get going. You probably have to unpack some more Bells?" I nodded. "Okay, see you later Billy. Is it okay if we leave the truck here for now? We'll pick it up next time we come down." Billy nodded.

"Come by anytime, Charlie. We're always glad to have you and Bella."

"Great. We'll go fishing next Saturday. Prepare to be beaten!" Charlie made a show of fake casting a fishing rod as we walked towards the door. "See you later Jake!" I waved shyly at Billy and Jake.

"See ya!" Billy and Jake chorused as we walked out the door. When Charlie and I finally arrived home, I quickly showered, changed, and immediately fell asleep on my bed. Right before I went into my world of dreams, I ran through the memories of the day and saw Jake's smile one last time. Maybe Forks wasn't as bad as my mom had said it was.


	5. The New Girl Part 1

Note to the readers: This chapter is in two parts because one day is apparently too long for one chapter. So you guys get two chapters tonight. :D

The last month of summer flew by. Charlie and Billy had their fishing competitions while Jake and I stayed at Billy's and just…talked. I had never been able to talk to someone so easily, and I had never been so content. I loved my mom, but back in Phoenix, I had never had a friend that was like Jake. It was like we could talk about anything with an ease and familiarity that I had never had with anyone else. However, as the summer came to an end, the approaching school year seemed larger and scarier than normal. Jake wouldn't be going to my school, so I would be starting by myself on September 3rd.

However, whenever I talked to Jake about it, the only thing he would say was,

"If anyone bothers you, let me know. I'll take care of it." He seemed positive that nothing bad would happen, but he was almost…protective about me in the way he said that he would take care of it. Everyday that we spent talking about whatever crossed our mind became shorter and shorter until Charlie and Billy returned and had me and Jake prepare dinner while they watched whatever was on the TV. Jake was always trying to get me to mess up or lose focus while I cooked. He'd juggle plates, pick me up, or even nudge me out of the way and cooked by himself. He never failed to make me smile, and always seemed to know exactly how I was feeling.

On the night before school started, we sat together at the table, and that night as Charlie and I got ready to depart, Jake gave me a hug, like he did every night. He usually gave me brief hugs that lifted me off my feet quickly, and then messed up my hair before I went out to the truck. That night, he didn't pick me up, but rather bent down, and gave me a deep hug that lasted a bit longer than a 'friendly' hug. It was more…tender. I returned the hug, and on a whim, stretched on my tiptoes and kissed him quickly on his forehead. He looked surprised, and blushed deeply. Then, Charlie decided to walk out to his cruiser, and Jake and I sprung apart. Then we both were blushing and gave a quick wave to one another and I rushed to my truck and strapped myself in, thinking about what had happened the entire way home.

Was I confused? Definitely. Was I upset? Not at all. When I arrived home, I told Charlie that I was going to bed, so I wouldn't be tired for the next day, and he nodded and wished me good night. As I flew up the stairs, I quickly showered to calm down, and when I finally got into the room, I shut the door quietly. I got to my desk, and pulled out a black pen and a notepad. I found myself just randomly doodling and writing words while I thought about Jake and me. When my eyelids began to slightly droop, I sighed and looked at the notepad. I had unthinkingly written Jake and I's names, and a few hearts around them. I scrambled to crumple the paper and threw it in the trash. Then, I hesitated, and slowly, took it back out and smoothed it out. I put it under my bed, so Charlie wouldn't find it if he by some chance, came into my room. Then, I flopped on my bed and prepared myself for the coming day.

The school was smaller than I had imagined. A total of 347 students were in it, including the newest addition of myself. And as I arrived in the parking lot, I sighed, grabbed my book bag from the back of the truck and made my way to the entrance. I asked an Asian boy with long dark hair where the office was. He introduced himself quickly.

"Hey! You must be the new student, Isabella Swan right?" I was a bit taken aback, I knew that this was a small town, but I had only been in Forks for a month. I nodded before he continued. "Great! We've been waiting for you; not in a creepy way though. It's just because your dad's the Chief of Police. Oh, by the way, I'm Eric Yorkie. I'm a member of the school paper, so I'm the eyes and ears of the place here. You need anything, you just ask me, and I'll make sure you get it." He seemed to be babbling quite profusely, so I decided to ask where the office was yet again, since he had appeared to not have heard me the first time.

"Um…well can you help me find the office? I need to get my schedule." His face lit up in a gigantic smile.

"Sure thing! We'll get you all situated. In fact, I'll bring you there myself so you won't get lost." I wondered briefly how you could get lost in such a small school, but I accepted his offer, and walked down the hall with him as he continued to chatter while I threw in head nods. I wasn't really listening to him, but I was thinking about how much I missed Jake, and how I wished he could be here. Suddenly, Eric grabbed my arm, and brought me forward into an office and quickly introduced me to a red haired woman behind a desk. "Mrs. Cope, this is the new student, Isabella Swan!" She gave me a warm smile and said,

"Eric, thank you for bringing her, but you should get going to class; you know that none of the teachers like the upperclassmen to be late to classes first day." He nodded and said,

"See ya later Isabella!" and left. I sighed, thankful that he was gone. He seemed like a nice kid, but he was a bit…intense. Mrs. Cope smiled knowingly at me.

"Oh dear, it seems he's got a bit of a crush…no matter, you'll probably get a lot of that here. Just persevere!" She handed me a schedule, and a map to get around the school. "If you have any trouble, feel free to ask any students or teachers. Have a good first day!" Her optimism reminded me a bit of my mother, so I took the papers with a stiff smile and looked down at my schedule and room number. Homeroom was first.

As I walked into homeroom, I was observed by many kids at their desks. As I walked by to find an empty seat, my cheeks flushed red. Unfortunately, the teacher who chaperoned homeroom made me introduce myself to the class, and after a large amount of stuttering and almost falling, I made it back to my seat with the entire class knowing who I was. My next few classes were a bit better. I met two girls named Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber, who to my relief, were easy going and filled my awkward silences with light chatter. Jess seemed a bit pushy for gossip, but Angela gracefully changed the subject whenever she saw I was getting a bit uncomfortable. When we arrived to lunch, we got in line and bought our lunches, and then went to a table. Soon, other friends of theirs joined us.

Jess introduced me to everyone, which consisted of Lauren, a girl with an unpleasant smirk, and light almost white blond hair; Tyler, a guy who was seriously into his music and barely managed a head nod at me while he was listening to it, and Mike, a guy with wheat blond hair in spikes. Mike was almost as eager as Eric to talk to me.

"So Isabella, what's it like in Phoenix? You actually see the sun up there in Arizona?"

"It's just Bella, but yeah, we didn't have nearly as much rain there as there is here. Forks is Phoenix's polar opposite." I looked down at my small lunch of milk, an apple and a turkey grinder, and took a bite out of the apple.

"Cool, cool," he said. "So what do you have for the rest of the day? You're not in any of my classes so far," he said, "so you must have some with me for the rest of the day." I pulled my schedule out of my bag and scrolled through it. Mike grabbed it before I had a chance to respond. He looked at something at the top of the page really quickly, where my locker number and combination were, and muttered something under his breath, almost like he was memorizing it. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Great, now someone could get into my locker. It's not that I didn't trust Mike; I just…didn't exactly want him in my stuff. He also scanned the rest of my schedule. I folded my arms. Hopefully he didn't find out that… "Your birthday's the thirteenth?? Awesome! We'll hafta do something!" Jessica chirped in excitedly,

"Bella, why didn't you tell us?! You're only giving us a little over a week to plan!" I rolled my eyes

"I kind of just met you guys…" I muttered under my breath which both of them disregarded.

"We'll figure it ALL out, Bella, don't worry about a thing!" Jess said excitedly.

"Awesome." I tried to smile, but failed. I had just met these kids, and already there was a spotlight on me. Not how I wanted my first day to go. Mike finally looked at my schedule for the rest of the day.

"You've got Spanish 6th, Biology 7th, and Gym 8th? That's great! So do I! I'll walk you to class." He said with enthusiasm. I actually managed a smile this time. Even though I didn't like the attention, he reminded me of a puppy. A hyper, ecstatic, silly little puppy. I lightly chuckled to myself. Lunch ended and I went to Spanish with Mike, as he chattered through the entire class, earning several glares from the teacher. As he walked with me to Biology, he put his arm around my shoulders, to which I tried to shrug off by pretending to tie my shoe, but when I finished, he put his arm on my shoulder again. I sighed. Hopefully he wouldn't be my lab partner in Biology.


	6. The New Girl Part 2

We walked into Biology to be greeted our teacher, Mr. Banner, who already had a seating arrangement up on the board. Mike was on the opposite side of the room from me. I tried not to look too happy. I was apparently sitting next to some guy named Edward Cullen. I looked to my seat, and right next to mine, was who I presumed to be him. He had dark auburn hair, and almost looked like he hadn't been sleeping well with the dark shadows under his eyes. His eyes were yet another dark feature to him; they were as black as pitch. Overall, he looked somewhat…intimidating, slightly hunched over his notebook. As I sat down, he stiffened, and shot a menacing glare in my direction. I quickly bent my head down and opened my notebook and saw a dog eared page. I ignored the scraping noise of Edward moving his chair as far away from me as possible and quickly turned the page to see who had written what in my notebook. Instantly, a smile broke out on my face, despite my cold neighbor. It was a note from Jake.

'Hey Bells, I have no clue when you'll actually find this (with my luck, it'll be the last period of the day, or worse, the end of the year), but I know you're probably a bit tense being around so many random people. I know they're probably showering you with boatloads of attention, which you hate. But, I also know that if anyone at all does anything to you, then they'll be taken care of. Don't worry though, it'll be okay, and this weekend will come soon enough, and you'll get a big hug to make it better. Then you can talk about school, and we can hang again. I'll see you later Bells.

~Jake"

I instantly hugged my notebook to my chest. That had just made my day a thousand times better. Even if I was sitting next to someone who apparently hated me the moment they laid eyes on me. I frantically kept my focus on our teacher and his lesson, which was kind of light because it was the first day. However, whenever I began getting uncomfortable from my neighbor's fierce stare, I just reread Jake's note. It helped. Finally, the period ended, and Edward dashed from the room. I wasn't exactly upset by that, but then I got the replacement of Mike. I couldn't figure out which was worse. Gym came and went with me falling down constantly, and I got out of the locker room before Mike, and I escaped to my truck and then got home, and immediately flopped on my bed.

After running through the day's events, I turned on my ancient computer, and while waiting for it to start up, I rummaged through my book bag and got out Jake's note and tossed it on my desk. Luckily, the computer had loaded by this point, so I checked my email and quickly ran through my day for my mother, who had sent a frantic email about my first day of school in Forks. Then, I shut my computer window and began making dinner for Charlie and me before he got home. I had just finished cooking it and set the table when Charlie arrived home.

Like my mother, he asked me how my day had gone, and I went through a general run through of it, and then excused myself after washing the dishes. I did what little homework I had, and then looked at the clock. It was only 6, and I had already run out of things to do. I grabbed my keys, and decided to visit Jake. The weekend wouldn't come soon enough.  
"Charlie, I'm going to Jake's for a while." Charlie nodded.

"Just make sure you're back by 11, Bells. It is a school night after all." I nodded yes, and quickly started the truck and zoomed over to Jake's. I needed his calming presence. As I arrived in the driveway, I quickly went to the door and knocked. Jake appeared at the door, with a look of mild surprise on his face, and two boys mildly shorter than him stood behind him. He immediately enveloped me in a hug,

"Bells! What are you doing here?" I blushed. The two guys behind him smirked up at him. He showed no embarrassment though. "Oh. This is Quil," he jerked a thumb at the boy with hair down to his shoulders, just like Jake "and this is Embry." He jerked another thumb at the other boy, who had hair barely down to his chin. They both waved at me.

"Uh hi. I'm Bella…obviously. And I wanted to visit, I got your note." Now he blushed, at the mention of the note. Quil and Embry's eyebrows raised simultaneously. They crossed their arms and smirked. I immediately regretted mentioning it in front of them, because I had a feeling they'd probably give poor Jake a hard time about it.

"A note, bro?" Quil asked, giving Jake's shoulder a light punch.

"What'd you say?" Embry asked, his smirk getting wider by the second. Jake shot both of them a look of menace and turned back to me.

"Can you hold on a sec, Bells?" Jake said, with a pleasant smile. "It'll just take a second."

"Sure" I was a bit confused, but I stood by the door as Jake gently closed it. I heard a few muffled yelps, and laughter, and then Jake opened the door after a few minutes. He smiled. I looked curiously at him. "Do I want to know?"

"Probably not." He said with a wink. "Just had to deal with some kids." I looked inside to see Quil and Embry sitting on the couch. They scoffed at his words.

"Kids? We're your age, Jake." Embry said. I suppressed a smile. I was the smallest here, but I was apparently the oldest. Jake slung an arm around my shoulders, but instead of it being uncomfortable, like with Mike, it actually felt…right. I smiled up at him. Jake ignored them, and looked down at me.

"So how was your first day, Bells? Anyone obnoxious or annoying?" he said gently. "Or, anyone I should take care of?" he said with a grin identical to his friends' but somehow all his own. I shook my head.

"Nope. A few annoying guys, one a bit menacing, but that's about it." He looked confused.

"Annoying how? And menacing? Tell me Bells." I shook my head.

"It's not important, besides why should we talk about me, when your friends are here? If you want me to go, I can…" Quil and Embry looked at Jake as I said this. I couldn't decide if their expressions were amused or smug. It seemed to be a mixture. I started to walk away, as I mentioned leaving, and Jake sighed. He picked me up in his arms, so I was unable to get away, and smiled.

"You, are not going anywhere. These two clowns can deal with a girl being here. It's probably the best one they'll ever see anyways." He smiled down at me. I shook my head with a smile. Jake was so silly at times.

"All right, I'll stay, but only if you put me down." He frowned, but agreed, and put me down gingerly. I took a seat, on the loveseat that was in the living room, while Quil and Embry stayed seated on the larger couch across from the loveseat. Jake took a seat beside me. Quil clicked the TV off, and he and Embry looked at me.

"So. Bella, how do you know our Jake here? He's been talking about you non-stop, but we never thought we'd actually meet you." Jake's face immediately flushed a bit, as did mine.

"Quil, don't question her the second she gets in here-" Jake tried to interrupt, unsuccessfully.

"Jake, if you talk about the girl every day, we have the right to ask how she knows you." Jake blushed a bit more. I was a bit at a loss of words, but apparently Quil wasn't. He kept speaking smoothly. "So. Bella. How do you know Jake?"


	7. Meet the Friends

Few notes before this chapter starts: 1. It is short. That's why there is going to be an immediate chapter after it. This was just used to tie up the loose ends from the last chapter. 2. Thank you everyone for the reviews! They make me smile and I get excited to write! 3. Hope you enjoy

I didn't really have anything to worry about, I was sure that Jake would help me avoid anything potentially embarrassing. Still, it was an awkward conversation to have with Jake's friends. I shifted next to Jake before I answered Quil's question and I then said,

"Well, we met back in August, but my dad and Billy are great friends, so me and Jake just…bonded." Quil stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I see…and how often do you hang out?"

"Um, almost every day?" I said hesitantly. Why did it matter how much we hung out?

"What's his middle name?" Quil shot at me

"Ephraim." It was his grandfather's name.

"Favorite color?" I noticed that Quil was enjoying himself a bit too much. I rolled my eyes and answered.

"Hunter green." Jake loved anything that reminded him of the forest he lived in. Then, Quil decided to amp up the questions to a potentially embarrassing level.

"Your feelings about him?" I stammered for a couple of seconds, blushing a shade of red that is not normally seen unless you happen to be a piece of ripe watermelon. Jake interrupted, embarrassed and semi-angry.

"Quil! This is not a pop quiz on me. Can we talk for a second?" his tone was getting angrier by each word he spoke. Quil and Jake got up, and went outside quickly, without a backward glance, leaving me and Embry in the living room. Embry sighed gently.

"This is so not the way we had planned for this to go." I shot him a confused look, and he rested his head on his hands. "You see, we were supposed to subtly question you about how you knew Jake, how you felt about him, etc. Quil got ahead of himself." He rolled his eyes. I looked down at my hands uncomfortably. Suddenly, Embry got a slightly gentler tone of voice. "We're not trying to be annoying pains, we're just trying to…well, see how Jake feels about you, and Quil is trying to see if you're a 'good enough' friend or whatever you are for Jake. Although," he continued, "we are naturally annoying pains. Just so you know." I laughed slightly and responded.

"It's fine, I'm just not used to getting questioned." Embry smiled and shook his head.

"Like I said, Quil got ahead of himself. But he'll be on his best behavior now, especially because of the way Jake reacted. I've never seen him get so easily irritated or defensive because of Quil." I looked back down at my hands again. Jake couldn't be getting so…defensive because of me, could he? Jake chose that moment to remerge with Quil. Quil shuffled forward and said,

"I'm sorry for exaggerating and making you uncomfortable, Bella." He looked at me straight in the eyes, and I saw sincere regret there for making me uncomfortable. Jake stood behind Quil with his arms crossed and a set expression on his face. It was a mix of anger, pride, and concern. However, I hadn't really minded Quil questioning me, now that I knew his motives behind it, thanks to Embry.

"It's fine. You were concerned about your best friend. If I were in your position, I probably would have done the same thing. No hard feelings?" He nodded his head eagerly and Jake rolled his eyes, a smile finally coming back on his face. Quil walked forward to take his previous place next to Embry, and Jake took his seat by me. Jake easily put his arm around my shoulders, and ruffled my hair, before letting his hand rest atop my shoulder. After that awkward piece of conversation was out of the way, I was able to converse freely with Embry and Quil. I could see exactly why they were Jake's best friends; they were almost exactly like him, and they were the perfect balance of friends. Embry was the most serious, and Quil was the least, with Jake as the happy medium, and they got along like clockwork.

Before I knew it, the hours flew by and it was time for me to get back home to Charlie. As I quickly said goodbye to Embry and Quil, I got my keys, and Jake walked me out to the truck.

"Bells?" Jake said, "I'm sorry that we didn't really get to talk about your first day at Forks High. I'm sure you figured out what a bunch of loudmouths I'm friends with." He smiled, and I couldn't help but smile in return. His happiness was contagious, and it brought me light and sunshine, even when it might be the dead of night.

"It was fine Jake. I was actually really happy to meet them both." I lowered my voice, aware that they might be listening. "I hope that I passed the test? Whatever test it was?" Jake tilted his head backward and laughed.

"Yes, you passed with flying colors, Bells. And even if you hadn't, then they'd have to deal with you and me anyway." He ended that sentence by gently poking me on the nose. I smiled yet again, and chuckled.

"Well, that's a relief. But I've got to go now, Jake. Chief Swan will have your head if I'm not back soon." I held my arms out for a hug, and Jake lifted me up, swung me around, and with one final squeeze, put me gently on the ground again. Then, he bent down and lightly kissed my forehead, like I had done not too long ago. Upon doing this, we heard wolf whistles presumably from Quil and Embry. While I blushed, Jake growled slightly, and once he did that, I just burst out laughing. "It's fine Jake," after saying that, I added in a louder tone, "they're just jealous that they can't get a girl to go within a 5 foot radius of them, never mind a hug or a kiss on the forehead without being slapped." The wolf whistles quickly turned to boos and I smiled and shook my head. "I'll see you later, Jake. Have fun with those two." I got in the truck as Jake waved goodbye to me.

On the way back to Forks, I reflected on what Embry had said about him and Quil trying to figure out how Jake 'felt about me' and how I felt about Jake. The very thought sent butterflies hurtling through my stomach at a million miles an hour. I had never had a boyfriend, let alone anyone close to that. So, did I 'like' Jake in that sense? I battled with the idea the entire way home. I had certainly met no one like him, and he always seemed to make me smile and…I felt more than comfortable with him.

By the time I arrived home, I was very confused, very happy, and very tired. I took my nightly shower, and went to bed almost immediately after. The next few days were sure to be interesting.


	8. Werewolf Weekends

The next days proved to be very busy indeed. Because of the homework that soon accumulated, I had barely any time visit Jake, although I did try to sort out my feelings for him a bit more. As it was though, I had enough on my hands with dealing with the guys at my own school. Mike appeared to have a crush on me that never faded, no matter how little enthusiasm I exhibited. Meanwhile, Mike's polar opposite had left, and appeared to have no intentions of reappearing any time soon. Secretly, I was a bit happy. Edward Cullen had freaked me out in more ways than one. I mean, I hadn't spoken a word to the guy, and already he had hated me from the moment he set eyes on me.

I spent those periods in Biology trying to figure out what to do about Jake. I had already learned everything about Biology in an AP program back in Phoenix, so it was just review for me, which left plenty of time for me to think of other things.

Jake was definitely more than a friend to me. I connected to him on a level that I didn't with anyone else. He understood whatever I meant, and he knew exactly how to cheer me up, and vice versa. I always felt comfortable being held by him, whether it was a hug, or his arm around my shoulder; something I definitely didn't feel with any of the guys here who attempted to do that kind of stuff. Jake was unlike anyone I had ever met. I knew I loved him, but I wasn't sure what way it was that I loved him. Did I love him as a brother? A friend? Something more? I didn't know. And that subject took up most of my Biology period each day. When the weekend finally arrived, I was happy to be able to finally hang out with Jake again. As confused as I was, being with him somehow helped.

Charlie and Billy went fishing, so me and Jake were left alone in the house, and began one of our normal long talks.

"So, since we had my rude friends over last time, and couldn't discuss it, how was your first day at Forks High?" Jake asked considerately. I smiled. School had gotten better throughout the week, but I still wished that I was able to get rid of Mike's ridiculous attachment to me. As I told Jake about it, he laughed and offered to help me if I needed it. I declined yet again. However, the one thing I felt I needed to mention specifically was Edward Cullen's odd behavior.

"I sit next to this guy in Biology named Edward Cullen, and I swear, he acts like I have the plague or something." Jake's eyes widened a bit. "I'm not joking! The moment I stepped into the classroom and took my seat, he glared at me as if I were dripping in something disgusting. And now he won't even come to class; which I suspect has to do with his reaction to me." Jake looked off in space for a second before responding.

"Bells, I know this might seem overprotective or something like that, but just…stay away from Edward Cullen." Now it was my turn for my eyes to widen.

"Why? I mean, he seemed…antisocial, and a bit intimidating, but is there something specifically wrong with him?" Jake sighed

"Well, don't mention this to Charlie, but the Cullens and the Hales don't exactly have the best reputation down here. It has to do with a lot of old legends and beliefs." I looked at him to continue. "Now keep in mind that these are just myths, and that they have no actual reasoning as a basis for their story. A long time ago, it was said that my ancestors were able to somehow turn into wolves and defend the Quileute tribe if there was any need for protection." I nodded, anxious for him to continue the story. "One day, there was indeed a need for my ancestors to become wolves. These creatures that they referred to as 'Cold Ones' began to attack our village, and begun to drink the blood of our people. Our ancestors immediately transformed into wolves, and ripped the 'Cold Ones' apart. The 'Cold Ones' are more commonly known as vampires nowadays." I nodded, but then I was confused.

"So what does this have to do with the Cullens and the Hales?"

"Hold on, I'm getting to it. Well, after that attack, as you can suspect, our elders were very suspicious of any other vampires that might try and attack our village. One night, many years later, other vampires came and asked for safe passage. They were made up of a female, and two males. They insisted that they meant no harm to humans, and that they fed only on animals, but we were not easily convinced after the slaughter we had witnessed years ago. We allowed them escorted passage through our tribe land, and then left them in the neighboring town."

"Once again, what does this have to do with them? Are the Cullens and Hales like, their great grandchildren or something?" Jake shook his head slowly, his dark long hair tickling my face.

"No. They're rumored to be the same ones. They've had members added to their brood, but they remain to be the same blood sucking creatures that were the same species as the ones that attacked our village. Of course, they've moved around since then, to avoid suspicion, but you never know when one of them might become too hungry, and….ATTACK!" Upon saying that last part, he immediately attacked me by tickling me until I could barely breathe.

"Ja-Ja-Jakeee!!!" I said between giggles. "S-s-Stopppp! I hahahave a question!" He stopped with a huge smile across his face. "So, what you mean to say is that I have a vampire for my classmate? And that's why he's so unfriendly?" Jake let out a laugh of his own.

"No Bells, I don't believe in the myths of old men. But if they avoid the Cullens and Hales so much that they can't even pass on our own land, they must have some good reason for it. So just watch out for him. He may not be what he appears." I nodded slightly. I could avoid him. It's not like I was exactly going out of my way to talk to him. Then another thought occurred to me.

"Jake?"

"Mm?"

"So, if the Cullens and Hales are vampires, and your tribe turns into wolves…that makes you guys… werewolves?" He furrowed his brow.

"I guess you could say that…I don't know what else we'd be considered." I sighed.

"Great. I'm surrounded by monsters everywhere. I'm the only human left!" Jake laughed at me yet again.

"Calm down Bells, I'm plenty human. Remember, they're just myths told to entertain the village." Then his tone turned from joking to serious very quickly. "But please Bells; be very careful around Edward Cullen. Like I said, the tribe wouldn't be so prejudiced against them without a legitimate reason. Promise you'll be careful?" he said, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"I promise," I responded, hugging him back as hard as I was able. We continued to talk until Billy and Charlie came home, and then we made dinner together and too soon said goodbye. We hung out the day after, but the weekend had disappeared faster than I could imagine. Now I had my birthday week to look forward to. The good part? I would be able to see Jake at the end of the week again. I think that was the best present I could imagine.


	9. Slip N Slide

Once again, you guys get another double feature; I get so excited when I get all those reviewers/subscriber notification emails in my inbox. It makes me want to write a lot!

I woke up on Monday late. This meant I barely had time to get dressed, brush my hair, and rush to school. I slid in my first period seat as the bell rang. Then, as lunch approached, my day got even better. Mike had decided to try and buy me lunch when I had found I was a dollar short, and when I refused to let him do so, he bought it anyway, much to my dismay. As we walked back to the table, he was beaming, and Jess was glaring at me. From our chats in the past few days, she had confided in me that she liked Mike, and it was becoming obvious that Mike didn't feel the same way.

As he sat down with an empty seat next to him, I quickly took the only seat next to Jess, and somewhat away from him. His eyes narrowed a bit, but he dug into his food, nevertheless. As Jess, Angela, and Mike tried to rope me into conversation, I found my mind kept wandering to what Jake had said about the Cullens. I quickly scanned the cafeteria, wondering if he was actually present today, or if he was skipping yet again. As I searched, I found him promptly. And his eyes were on me.

He was sitting with the rest of his family, of whom I had never met, only heard whispers about. His older brother, Emmett, had dark hair and a thick build that was muscled perfectly. Emmett was sitting next to his girlfriend, Rosalie Hale, whose beauty had no parallel at this school. Her hair was light, and her figure was stunning. The only one who came close to being at her standard of beauty was Edward's sister Alice whose spiky short black hair gave her a quirky little look to the rest of them. Her boyfriend, Jasper had hair the color of Rosalie, who was his sister, and although he wasn't very muscled compared to Emmett, he had lanky muscles that were more close to Edward's. As I observed his entire family, I noticed that not only Edward was looking at me, but so was Alice. As he saw my head turn towards her, he immediately shot a glance in her direction, and they both turned around. After that, my eyes dropped to the table, where they remained until the end of the period. Biology was going to be interesting now that Edward Cullen was back in town.

I went to Biology as early as possible, hoping to just be in my seat and looking down at my notebook before I had to say a word to Edward. Surprisingly, he was already there, looking as if he was waiting for something, or more likely, someone. As I sat down, he cleared his throat and introduced himself with a dazzling smile.

"Why, you must be Bella Swan. As you may have heard, I am Edward Cullen. I'm sorry about my behavior last week. I was recuperating from a cold, and it made me very irritable." I nodded. Something seemed off about him. Besides the fact that I now knew that Jake had told me to stay away, Edward looked different. But I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was.

"It's fine. It's good to hear that you're better at least." I searched his face, trying to figure out what exactly had changed about this menacing creature to make him seem less dark. It wasn't his personality; he was just acting more cheerful to seem less intimidating, I was sure of it.

"Thank you. I was worried I might have offended you in some way." I shook my head, and in that second, looking straight into his eyes, I noticed the difference.

"I'm sorry, but did you get contacts or something? I could have sworn that the last time I saw you, your eyes were much darker." It looked like he clenched his jaw just the tiniest bit. I couldn't tell.

"They might have been. My eyes frequently change color. It's a genetic trait I inherited from my father." As he said this, a smile slowly came into view. For some reason he was amused by this fact.

"Oh." I said, not able to think of anything else. I couldn't understand why Jake had wanted me to stay away from him though. I mean, he was odd, but he didn't seem like he was a bad person or anything. I tried to ignore Edward for the rest of the period though, in spite of what I thought. Jake had some meaning behind it, and I didn't take that lightly. Edward tried to keep the conversation going slightly though, and suddenly, the sky burst in a downpour. As he saw my expression shrink, he guessed the reasoning behind it.

"I'm thinking that you don't like rain?" he asked, a smile still on his face.  
"However did you guess that?" I answered sarcastically. Rain took away my sense of humor and replaced it with sarcasm.

"Just a feeling. Why is that though?" He seemed genuinely curious although I couldn't understand why.

"Well…it's not like it doesn't rain enough in this town. I mean really, you barely ever see the sunshine." He nodded his head.

"I suppose I see what you mean. But too much sunshine isn't always a good thing. Rain can sometimes add to things and make them grow." I shrugged.

"I just don't like rain. Period." The conversation ended there, and we were basically silent for the rest of the period, except for the questions we answered when Mr. Banner occasionally called on one of us. At the end of the period, I left and went to gym where I fell at least five times. This was definitely not my most graceful day. As I went out to my truck, it was still pouring heavily. I sighed, and as I fumbled in my backpack and then dropped my keys, I bent down, and then everything was a blur. All of a sudden, Tyler Crowley's blue van was hurtling towards me, slipping on the enormous puddles the rain had created while everyone stood around in horror. The only person I actually recognized in the sea of faces was Edward Cullen, who was 10 cars down to my left. I shut my eyes, and waiting for the van to hit me, knowing that I would have no time to escape at the speed at which it was coming towards me.

Suddenly, I was on the ground, being held up in someone's right arm, as they crouched in front of me, and just before the van came within six inches of me, with superhuman strength, they put their hand out and stopped the van. I looked up in shock to see who my rescuer was, and gasped. It was none other than Edward Cullen. As soon as the van completely stopped, he moved his hand across the dent where his hand had been, and smoothed it out as best he could, like it was a wrinkle in cotton. My mouth gaped open. Surely I was seeing things, because, there was no way that could have happened. Unless…unless Edward really was a vampire. After that, I completely blacked out.


	10. Sunshine in the Night

I woke in the back of an ambulance, with Edward Cullen holding my hand, looking worriedly at me.

"What's…going on?" I struggled to remember why I was in the ambulance, and all I could vaguely remember was Edward holding me up as he stopped the van from crushing me. With his bare hand. Then the memories started flooding back as he looked down at me, his eyes full of worry, concern, and fear.

"Shh…it's okay. Tyler almost crashed into you, but I got you out of the way before anything could happen, and he was able to miraculously stop." His eyes were begging me to go along with his story. The EMT in the background piped in.

"Miraculously? That was the most amazing thing I've ever heard of. You two kids are lucky you weren't killed, let alone that one of you blacked out." He shook his head and then looked down at me. "By the way, you feeling any better hon? That was quite a scary experience. We called your dad, and he told us not to worry, he'd tell your mom and he'd be at the hospital right away." I groaned. Mom was going to have a million fits. Even if I wasn't injured, she still was going to worry, which was totally unnecessary. Edward looked down at me still, the worry in his eyes taking over any other emotion. I motioned for him to bend down, and I whispered in his ear.

"Thank you, so much. If it weren't for you, I'd be a pancake. But how did you…?" He snapped his head back up and shook it ferociously.

"Just don't ask." He whispered fiercely, and turned his head.

"Thank you." I looked down now, trying to make sense of it in my mind, but failing. There was no way that could have happened, unless…unless Jake's myths were true.

We arrived at the hospital shortly, and after I got a check-up from Dr. Carlisle Cullen, he left the room to check on Tyler, who was in another room, and Edward emerged from out of nowhere. Immediately, I sat up in my bed.

"Edward! What happened back there? How did you…?" He shook his head again.

"Bella, you went into shock, and I was right next to you and got you out of the way. That is all I did. If you think I did anything else, you must have hallucinated from the traumatic experience." I glared. I may be klutzy, but I am not stupid.

"Edward, I know what I saw. You…you stopped the van with one hand!" I knew I sounded absurd, but I knew what I had seen. He walked over to the window and looked out.

"Please Bella." His tone was nothing like his previous. It was soft and gentle, but what got me the most, was the fear that was instilled deeply in it. I sighed, and he immediately turned around.

"Fine. I don't understand what happened, but obviously, you don't want to admit your heroics or whatever it was you did. So fine. I'll stick to the story you say happened. It'll be my version of thank you." His eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Thank you Bella." I laughed.

"You're thanking ME? After YOU saved my life?" At this, his smile grew a bit deeper, and he chuckled softly.

"I suppose I am. Well. I'll leave you now. Charlie should be here soon to pick you up." His face grew serious again. "But be careful Bella. And make sure you get rest to recover." With that, he left the room, and lo and behold, not three minutes later did Charlie appear.

"Bells! I was so worried about you! Are you okay? Were you hurt? Did that kid do anything?" He subconsciously growled. "So help me, if he hurt ONE hair on your head…" I interrupted before Charlie became Mount Vesuvius and exploded.

"Dad, its fine. Tyler stopped before he could hit me, and Edward helped to get me out of the way. I'm just here because I blacked out. And since I'm fine now, can we go home, so I can call Mom? I'm sure she's having a fit the size of Texas as we speak." He nodded, slightly with worry still evident on his face, but as he helped me stand up, I saw that he knew I was okay now. We went home, and I called my mother. She was in a tizzy, which was expected and I calmed her down surprisingly fast, and after we got over the accident, we talked about everything else that was happening currently. After an hour long conversation, I went downstairs, and found Billy and Charlie lounging in the living room.

"What is going on..?" I asked in disbelief. Why was Billy here? And if Billy was here, that must mean…

"Bells!" Jake's head popped out from the kitchen. He had some sort of food on his forehead, and he rushed forward wearing an apron to give me a hug. He immediately picked me up after hugging me, and held me like a child, supporting my back and legs. "Are you okay? I heard what happened, and that Edward Cullen saved you." He held me tighter, and I smiled. Billy and Charlie appeared to be trying not to laugh.

"Jake, you can put me down, I'm fine." He shook his head, and I sighed. "You're ridiculous. And what is on your face?" I reached forward and wiped what was on his forehead. He blushed.

"That's part of my attempt to make supper. Since you always make food for me, and especially after a day like this, I thought you could, well…I thought it might be nice to make something for you." My entire face lit up. Jake was so…wonderful.

"Jake…that's so…" my voice trailed off. "Thank you so much" I threw my arms around his neck, and he smiled. He held me tighter and whispered in my ear.

"Well, after all you've done for me, it only seemed right. Besides," he continued in an even softer voice. "isn't that what people do when they care about each other? I only wish I had been the one able to save you." At those words, a single tear of happiness rolled down my cheeks. I smiled and whispered in his ear yet again,

"Thank you Jake."

Charlie and Billy both cleared their throats simultaneously. Jake and I jumped and he put me down gingerly.

"Bells, why don't you help Jake fix dinner?" Billy said. "Something smells like its burning." Me and Jake sniffed the air.

"Uh oh," Jake said, and together, we rushed into the kitchen. He quickly turned the stove off while I surveyed the mess he had created and burst out laughing. He twisted around, a sheepish grin on his face. "I said that I was trying to make dinner. I didn't say that it was successful." I laughed, and reached on my tiptoes to ruffle his hair.

"Nonsense. We'll have everything ready in no time." And so we did. Dinner was wonderful. A bit overcooked, but it was lovely to have everyone I cared about in Forks all together and happy. As Jake and I said goodnight, he gave me a tight hug and kissed me on the forehead, and I rested in his arms for a few precious moments before he went back to his own house with Billy.

That night, I lay in my bed, wondering how such an awful day had turned out to be so perfect by the end.


	11. Just Dance

The next day was insane. People at school literally swarmed around me. Tyler was the hardest to discourage though. He literally was a step behind me everywhere, unless I had a different class than him. Mike was getting noticeably irritated. If I hadn't been so annoyed myself, I probably would have found Mike's behavior funny, but as it was, I really just wanted Tyler to leave me alone. And of course, Edward got no recognition or annoyances whatsoever, no matter how much I tried to give him the credit he had coming. But, I think he was slightly more intimidating to the general population than I was.

As I sat down to lunch, with Tyler on my left side, and Mike on my right, Jessica glared angrily at me. This was going to be a fun day. Angela arrived at the table, looking very frazzled.

"What's wrong, Angela?" I asked, anxious to get Jessica's laser eyes off of me. It worked, thank goodness. Angela sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I swear, the back-to-school dance planning is just not working out! I mean, we have a DJ, but the dance committee is NO help whatsoever! I'm the oldest member, and I can't figure out a theme, or decorations, or…" her voice trailed off. Jess's eyes immediately lit up.

"Ange, we can definitely help you! Right Bells?" I looked at Jess dumbfounded. Dance was not in my vocabulary. "When's it supposed to be, Ange? Together, we can get it done!" I sighed. I had a feeling I wasn't going to get out of planning this. Not if the tone of Jess's voice was any indication.

"Yeah." I said, attempting to pump some enthusiasm in my words. "We can definitely do it. When's it supposed to be?" Angela sighed.

"This Friday. We have less than a week." Now, I was excited. That was the day of my birthday. If everyone was distracted by the dance, there was no way they could celebrate my birthday. Jess's enthusiasm kept increasing by the second.

"Then what the sam heck are we waiting for?? Let's go plan this right away!" She hopped up, with me and Angela in tow. I couldn't say I was exactly upset to say goodbye to Mike and Tyler. Angela had an amused expression on her face.

"Jess, where exactly do you expect us to be going? You don't even know where the dance committee meets." Jess stopped.

"Oh." She looked confused. "Then where do we go?" She said it in such a clueless tone of voice, that me and Angela both looked at each other and just laughed.

"Come on, Jess." Angela said, going in the direction of the library. We entered and she brought us into a spare room that had a closed door. We took our seats around a table. "So. What ideas can we use for the dance? Remember, it has to have a style of dress, so everyone knows what to wear, and something we can get decorations for at a somewhat cheap price." Jess furrowed her brow, and got up and started pacing. I thought to myself for ideas as Jess and Angela tossed ideas back and forth.

"Disco? We'll have disco balls and retro decorations…" Jess said

"Where are we going to get a disco ball and retro decorations on such short notice? Next." Angela was no nonsense about this job.

"Red Carpet? Long gowns and tuxedos, fake awards" Jess looked slightly more excited about this one

"We don't have one." As Jess shot out suggestions, Angela quickly shot them down; not out of cruelty, but of practicality. There really wasn't a lot we could do on such short notice. Finally, I had an idea.

"Moonlight in September?" They looked at me curiously. "Hold on, let me explain it. It'll be calm, elegant. Semi-formal wear, which gives a lot of leeway to everyone. Decorations will be twinkle lights and some of it could be on the football field under the stars, since the gym is right next to the football field." Angela tapped her pencil on the table.

"That wouldn't be too expensive…we already have twinkle lights…and if it's semi-formal, then people could dress up or down…this could work.." She smiled. "What do you think, Jess?" Jess nodded her head

"Moonlight? Totally romantic! We can dress up and look cute…I love it!" She finally smiled at me. "Awesome Bella!"

"So it's settled." Angela was already planning things in her head. "We'll make the flyers right now, and they'll be up around the end of the school by the end of the period." True to her word, we designed the flyers, copied them, and hung them around the school after quickly getting approval from the principal. By the time the bell rung, Angela wrapped me and Jess in a huge hug "Guys, thank you so much. I honestly had no idea what to do for the dance. You guys have been a HUGE help." We hugged her back.

"No problem, Ange," I said, adapting Jess's nickname for her. "You want us after school Friday to help decorate?" She nodded eagerly. "Okay, we'll be there right after school, and then we'll leave. You guys will have a blast at the dance." Jess narrowed her eyes.

"What makes you think you're not coming?" I shrugged. "Bella, you are COMING. In fact, we'll go to get dresses tomorrow night."

"Lovely." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" Jess asked, not hearing me fully.

"Nothing! Um, can I bring a date from like, a different school?" Jess and Angela turned towards me.

"Yes…who is it???" Jess asked excitedly. The warning bell for our next classes went off. "Shoot. Well, you're talking about this tomorrow after school when we go shopping!" she said as she and Angela went off to their next class as I went off to Biology. As I got into my seat, Edward Cullen was there, his chair turned towards mine gently.

"Hello, Bella." He said in a quiet voice. I looked at him carefully. His voice didn't have the worry that it did yesterday, but it did have an edge of concern.

"Hi Edward. Thank you again for…yesterday." He nodded.

"So…" he seemed to be trying to make conversation. "How are you doing today?" he seemed uncomfortable, but I couldn't really think of why.

"I'm…fine. You?" He actually pulled out a full-fledged smile. I couldn't remember a time where I had actually seen him smile with emotion.

"I'm feeling…" He was searching for words, "I'm feeling sentimental." I quirked an eyebrow up at that, and he laughed gently. "Just remembering things I haven't felt for a while…" I nodded my head, and Mr. Banner started the class. It was a lab day, which meant I was going to have to talk to Edward throughout the period. I couldn't really understand why Jake had said to stay away from Edward Cullen. He seemed…nice, even though tribe legends said he was a vampire. Which, I amended, could very well be true…after seeing the way he had raced across the parking lot, and had seemed to stop the van. Before I could dwell on that topic much longer, Mr. Banner started to pass out the materials for the lab. Edward turned to me.

"Well, shall we get started, partner?" He resurfaced his dazzling smile, and I sat, momentarily at a loss for words. This was going to be an interesting period.


	12. Chicken of Chicken

I looked down at the materials Mr. Banner had given us. There was a scalpel, along with a raw chicken wing that smelled of bleach and a paper that showed the different parts to identify the muscles of the chicken wing. Mr. Banner began to explain the lab.

"Today, you all will be opening up a chicken wing to observe the muscles used in everyday activity. Using the guide, you will identify each muscle, and attempt to move it to create the chicken wing to move. All right, everyone grab a pair of goggles and an apron. Oh, and by the way. Sometimes there's a bit of blood that remains." I looked at the chicken wing. Great. I got to see a bit of blood in Biology. Even seeing it on TV made me nauseous. This along with the strong scent of the bleach was not going to help me at all. I lay my head on the desk for a second, trying to fend off the feelings that were already coming. Everyone else had rushed off to get supplies, besides Edward and I.

"Bella?" he asked in a somewhat worried tone. "Are you okay? You're green." Immediately, Mr. Banner came over.

"What's going on, Bella? Are you alright?" He looked down at me, fretting as my skin grew greener each second.

"Um… I don't do well with blood…or smells that overwhelm me…" I shook my head, unable to finish my sentence properly. I took my head off of the table, hoping to overcome the feeling I had just experienced. I was suddenly very dizzy. "I'll try though," I said, swaying a bit. Mr. Banner shook his head.

"Bella, after the erm…episode that happened yesterday, maybe you should go to the nurse, especially if you're reacting like this. Edward, would you mind taking her?" Edward nodded, and helped me up. I slumped as I tried to walk. I couldn't believe that I felt this way from a chicken wing and bleach. I really hoped that it did just have to do with me collapsing yesterday; otherwise this was going to get old very fast, especially if I made dinner and did laundry at the same time.

As we made it out into the hallway, I tried to walk straight, but kept slipping, and falling. Edward sighed, and scooped me up into his arms without warning.

"Hey!" I said indignantly. "I'm not a porcelain doll! I'm just… not feeling the best currently, that doesn't mean I can't walk!" Edward looked down at me.

"Bella, after yesterday, I'm quite surprised you're even in school. I thought I told you to rest?" I glared up at him. He sighed. "Anyway, you probably could have avoided Newton too if you had stayed home. He was glaring daggers as me as it was when I helped you out." I groaned.

"I swear, he needs to keep his distance from me. He is not my type in the SLIGHTEST. And anyway, he's totally oblivious to the fact that Jess likes him." Edward looked down at me again as I said this.

"I can imagine that he's not your type. However, what is your type?" He asked, while my face turned from green to red. Great. I was a Christmas tree now. Lovely.

"Um well…not him?" Edward threw his head back and laughed.

"Well that's obvious. Come on, let's get you to the nurse, before Newton comes running down the halls to challenge me to a duel."

"Agreed." I said. Edward brought me into the Nurse's office, and while she fluttered around the room, until she brought me and Edward into a room with a cot I could lie on, Edward rolled his eyes. I smiled slightly. She was overly excited at my appearance because I just looked awful. I was sure that most of it was from yesterday, like Edward and Mr. Banner had said. When she asked Edward if he should return to class, all he said was,

"I was told to stay with her." She nodded quickly, bit her lip and then left to attend to other students. Edward and I stayed the entire period, and we talked lightly, and at the end of the period, I groaned.

"What is it?" He asked, curious with that bit of concern that never seemed to fully leave.

"I have Gym next period. With Newton." His eyebrows lifted.

"Oh. I see. Say, are you feeling quite well enough to even go in Gym?" he said, winking at me. I caught on fast. "Should I tell the nurse that I'll take you home, so you can get proper rest?" I smiled.

"I would appreciate it so much if you did." He threw another wink at me, and opened the door and went to the nurse's desk. I could hear him talking to her.

"Miss? Bella says she doesn't feel strong enough to go to Gym. I was wondering if I could bring her back to her house? I don't think she's in a good enough condition to drive herself back."

"Oh Mr. Cullen, that would be fine! I'll just notify both of your teachers."

"Thank you ever so much." He said, a hint of smugness in his voice. He came back into the room, and helped me up. He picked me up in his arms again.

"I think I can walk." I hissed. He ignored me. As we walked out, the nurse waved frantically to me.

"Feel better Miss Swan!" I nodded my head weakly. Edward stifled a laugh, but I still felt his shoulders shake. As we got out to the parking lot, and we were at my truck, he put me down.

"Well, thanks Edward. I guess I'm going home now." I started towards the driver's seat; he put a hand on my shoulder and spun me around.

"What do you think you're doing??" He said angrily, his eyes drilling into mine. "I said I was driving you home. You are not in any condition that could possibly handle driving at the moment." I rolled my eyes. "Bella, get in the passenger seat." I glared, and weighed my options. He was stronger than me, faster than me, and as stubborn as me. I wasn't going to win. I sighed.

"Fine." We got in and he started driving, and my CD player immediately started playing the CD it had inside. It was Clair De Lune. Edward looked a bit surprised.

"Debussy?" I nodded. "Lovely piece of music. It's one of my favorites." I looked up at him, surprised.

"It's one of mine too..." We arrived at my house soon enough, but without me giving directions. "How did you know where I lived…?" I asked, suspiciously. The last thing I needed was to be driven home by a stalker.

"It's a small town. And after yesterday, I was able to see your address from Carlisle's papers." He smirked. "Any more questions, Nancy Drew?" I glared up at him.

"No. I'm supposing you're going back to school and having someone return my car?" He frowned.

"Actually, after school, my family and I have to go away as soon as it ends, but I can pick you up tomorrow instead." I groaned. That would be just great. If Charlie didn't kill him first.

"I think I'll walk…" I said, preferring to walk rather than get a ride in Charlie's cruiser.

"Nonsense. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Now, you really should get some rest." He said, and I got out grudgingly.

"Thanks…" I said, and walked towards the house as he turned the truck around and went back to the school. I wasn't particularly worried about anyone stealing the truck, since it was such an old monster, but I wasn't looking forward to the ride tomorrow with Edward. I sighed and got in the house and shut the door behind me. I got an early start on dinner, marinating some chicken, and then quickly went upstairs and replied to my mother's email.

As I finished using the ancient computer, I saw I had one message on my phone's answering machine. Curious, I clicked the button to make the message play.

'Hey Bells. Just me, Jake. Was just checking up to see how you were doing, and if you wanted to do anything Friday? I know we were going to have your party that day, but I thought it might be more fun if we saved that for Saturday…anyways…call me back…bye. Give my love to Charlie, Jake.' I stood by the phone, smiling. Maybe I could go to the dance with Jake…that would make it more fun at least. I immediately called him back. He was jubilant to hear from me this early, although his school got out an hour earlier than mine.

"Bells! So, what did you think? What should we do on Friday? The choice is yours, m'lady." I giggled. He was so goofy at times.

"Well, I'm being forced to go to this semi-formal dance at my school. Want to come? I think you could get away with a white shirt and black pants…" I heard a doorbell ring in the background.

"Of all times for them to come…Of course Bells! Can you give me the details later though? Quil and Embry just arrived, and they'll completely roast me if they hear me talking to you. I swear, those two are more gossipy than a bunch of old women!" I laughed.

"Sure thing Jake. We'll talk later." I smiled

"Thanks Bells. Love you, talk to you later." He hung up the phone, and I stood with the phone in my hand dumbfounded. He…loved me?


	13. Wheels on the Volvo Go Round and Round

I was in a daze for the rest of the night after Jake had said he loved me. I knew it probably meant nothing, but he had never said that before. I was distractedly making dinner when Charlie came home, my mind in a different place than focusing on the chicken I was cooking.

"Bells?" Charlie asked in a surprised tone as he walked in. "I thought you were out. Your truck's not here." I blushed, with the sudden memory of my faintness in Biology today. I had completely forgotten about it after my conversation with Jake.

"Oh yeah. I wasn't feeling very good in Biology, so one of my classmates gave me a ride home. They're picking me up tomorrow too to bring me to school, so you don't have to drive me or anything." Immediately, Charlie's rushed over to me.

"Are you okay? Was it because of yesterday? Are you sure you should go in tomorrow?" I sighed. I loved Charlie, but sometimes he was as bad as my mother when it came to worrying.

"I'm fine!" I insisted. "I just wasn't feeling so good. There was a bit of blood in the experiment along with bleach, it was just a bit much after yesterday. I'll be as good as new tomorrow. Don't worry." I shook my head at him. As I finished dinner, I set the table and Charlie and I ate quietly. I was pushing my food around my plate, my thoughts whirling around Jake and the dance. I really did have to get something semi-formal…hopefully I'd find something that I looked alright in.

"So…what are you plans for your birthday? You want anything special to do? I know that we're having the party with Billy and Jake on Saturday, but what do you want to do on your actual birthday?" I looked directly at my plate while I said my next words so Charlie couldn't see my increasingly red face.

"Well…actually Jess and Angela are dragging me to the dance on Friday, and I wanted to hang out with Jake too, so he's coming too…" I didn't dare look up. "And Jess, Angela, and I are going to get dresses for it tomorrow after school."

"Hmm," Charlie said. I still didn't look up. "That sounds good. As long as you're not too tired to go to the party tomorrow." I looked up a little surprised. "And, you'll need some money for dress shopping…" He pulled out his wallet for a second and gave me $40, which I could add to the $50 I already had. I could get a good dress with that, right?

"Thank you dad…" He smiled across the table from me.

"Of course Bells, that's what dads do. Just make sure you have a good time and look really pretty for Jake." I blushed and Charlie pretended not to see. After dinner, I quickly cleaned up as normal, and went up to my room, showered and did what little homework I had.

That night, I dreamt of Jake and me waltzing at the dance, out onto the football field, where it almost had a surreal glow in the night. Of course, as soon as we were about to go back home, I woke up. Just my luck. I had set my alarm clock early, not quite sure when Edward was going to arrive to pick me up. The idea of walking to school sounded somewhat appealing still. But I sighed, and put on one of my favorite pairs of jeans and a chocolate brown v neck shirt. If Jess, Angela and I were going somewhere after school, I wanted to look somewhat presentable. Plus, I didn't exactly feel like changing after a long day of school. I wanted out of Forks.

I rushed down the stairs, thankful that Charlie was gone to work already. I didn't exactly know what reaction he'd have if he knew it was going to be Edward Cullen picking me up. As I peered out the door, I saw a car in the driveway that certainly wasn't my red truck or Charlie's cruiser. It was too shiny, too new, and too expensive. It was a silver Volvo with tinted windows rolled all the way up, so I couldn't see if his family had ridden along. I walked over to the Volvo grudgingly. As I walked closer to the car, the backseat window rolled down.

"Hi Bella!" Edward's sister, Alice said, her hand bobbing back and forth. I noticed that Jasper was next to her, with a somewhat pained expression on his face. Maybe he had hurt himself or something?

"Hi…" I said awkwardly. I barely knew Edward and I was traveling with his family too. This would be interesting. Edward seemed to grimace as Alice enthusiastically greeted me. He muttered something under his breath that I didn't quite catch and she giggled.

"Get in Bella! I can't believe Edward didn't introduce us after what happened two days ago." She glared at him. "It was quite rude."

"I didn't realize that I would have to introduce her after I helped her to the emergency room. Excuse me for thinking she might need to rest instead of be introduced to my family." He said this in an annoyed tone, and she pouted. I shook my head and gingerly got into the passenger's seat. "Anyways, are you feeling any better Bella? I suppose you don't need anyone to pick you up again?" He said, a sparkle in his golden eyes. Now it was my turn to glare.

"No thank you. And I was perfectly capable of driving myself home yesterday." He rolled his eyes.

"Of course you were." He said sarcastically, a smirk appearing.

"I was." I insisted, unintentionally sounding more like a ten year old than I might have wanted. Alice giggled from the backseat again. I turned back to see why she was laughing.

"I'm sorry, the two of you just sound like an old married couple." She giggled behind her hand. "Don't they Jazz?" Jasper nodded, and Edward shot her a glare that could have frozen Egypt. She stopped, and he begun to drive towards the school. Alice, the talkative one decided to try and create conversation. "So, Bella, are you going to the school dance this Friday?" She seemed genuinely interested, but for some reason, Edward's knuckles on the steering wheel tightened.

"Actually, yes, I am. My friends are on the dance committee, and I helped to figure out the theme for the dance, so they're dragging me along." I rolled my eyes. Alice leaned forward eagerly.

"You helped figure out the theme? Moonlight in September?? Ohmygosh, I am SO excited for that! Do you want to get a dress after school today??" She was a bit overwhelmingly eager but I smiled. It was endearing, like a jazzed up six year old.

"Well, actually, I'm going with Jess and Angela today, but you can come if you want…" I said, not really thinking if Jess and Angela would be okay with it.

"Really?! That'd be awesome. Rose already has a dress she's been dying to wear; I swear, her wardrobe is even bigger than mine, and I have absolutely nothing to wear for it!" Both Jazz and Edward laughed at this. "So we'll all go afterschool! It'll be great!" She said, ignoring their laughter. I smiled. While she chattered away about dress fashions, we quickly arrived at the school. "Well, I'll see you later Bella! After school, don't forget!! C'mon Jazz, let's find Rose and Emmett." She pulled him out of the car, leaving behind Edward and me.

"Sorry about that…" Edward said. "She gets a bit…overexcited when meeting new people." I smiled.

"Don't worry about it. It sounds like she doesn't get to have girl time a lot. So, I'm sure she's just excited." Edward turned to me, a crooked smile on his face.

"Yes, that's actually exactly it." He shook his head. "By the way, that color brown really brings out the color in your eyes." I blushed slightly. "Your eyes really are beautiful," he said, staring into them.

"Erm…thanks. For the ride and everything. It was really nice of you." I babbled, backing out of the car. "I'll see you in Biology. And Lunch. Okay, bye." I ran towards the door. Jess and Angela looked at me with wide eyes.

"What was that?" Jess said, a look of disbelief on her face.

"Later." I hissed. Of course they had to see that. Of course. Then I remembered a slightly crucial detail about our after school plans. "Oh, by the way, Alice Cullen is coming shopping with us after school."

"Wait, what?" Angela looked a little surprised. "Alice Cullen? She usually doesn't hang out with anyone besides her family…" Then Angela shook her head. "Wow Bella, you're starting to shake the social structure in this town. First, you've got Eric, Tyler, and Mike after you, and now you're hanging out with the Cullens and us. Worlds are colliding!" She said almost happily. "Finally, some change in this town." I didn't know what to say, so I just said,

"C'mon, we're going to be late to class."


	14. Bella's a Barbie Girl

Sorry this chapter is so late tonight! Took me a while to write…thank you everyone for the LOVELY reviews, they always make me smile (special thanks to Gigi528, I always love to see your reviews)

The first half of the morning went smoothly enough. I was able to fill Jess and Angela in very briefly about why Edward Cullen had picked me up and such. However, when lunchtime approached, things got a bit more complicated. I walked in, and grabbed my lunch with them, when Alice Cullen came running over to us.

"Bella! Have lunch with us?? I want to introduce you to Rose and Emmett!" She grabbed my arm, and pulled me towards their table. I looked back to Jess and Angela with wide apologetic eyes. 'Sorry!' I mouthed. As we arrived at their table, Edward smiled.

"Thank you Alice. I had a feeling she'd listen to you more than me." I looked at him with an eyebrow upraised. This was HIS idea? Alice smirked.

"Well, you are more annoying Edward." She stuck her diminutive tongue out at him, and then took a seat next to Jasper. I noticed there was one seat left, which was in between Edward and Alice. I sighed, and sat down with my tray. Rosalie looked at me in an almost condescending manner, before Emmett nudged her with his elbow. She shot him a dirty glance.

"Hi Bella, as you've probably heard from these jokers, I'm Emmett." He just waved to me, and I nodded my head. "And this is my lovely girl, Rose." She nodded in my direction. I waved gently. Emmett looked more closely at me. "So this is the girl you picked up Edward? Nice." He nodded his head in an approving way. I blushed yet again. "Awhh, she's embarrassed!" He seemed to enjoy teasing me a little bit too much. Alice and Rose laughed, while Jasper smirked, and Edward glared.

"Emmett…" he said in a warning tone, but Emmett just rolled his eyes at it.

"Relax Ed. She knows I'm just joking." I nodded, but cast my eyes downward. Suddenly, I felt a tap on the back of my shoulder. I turned around, and looked up. Then I bit my lip. It was Mike. Lovely.

"These punks bothering you, Bella?" He said, crossing his arms, and attempting to look tough. I sighed. Alice raised her eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" she said, appraising him. "Why I never." Edward got up.

"Newton, if she was bothered, then I certainly don't think she'd call on you for help." He sneered downward at him. Mike paled slightly but still stood his ground.

"Um Mike, I'm fine." I said, embarrassed that they were doing this because of me. Was I going to have to go Harry Potter and get an invisibility cloak? "I'll see you in Gym and Bio, kay?" He didn't take his eyes off of Edward.

"Fine. You have any trouble Bella, you call me. Got it?" he said, not even looking at me.

"Okay Mike." I said hurriedly, hoping they'd just get out of a ten foot radius of each other. Mike took one final glare at Edward and then stalked off. I sighed, and shook my head. Alice just looked at him and glared.

"Jesus, you're not his property." She glared off in his direction and childishly stuck out her tongue at his back. "Jerk!" she muttered under her breath and crossed her arms. We all laughed at her. "What??" she asked. "He is!" the rest of the conversation went slightly better, and when the bell rang, Edward and I went off to Biology. As we sat down, Mr. Banner smiled, and handed out little bells with a handle to each pair at the lab tables.

"You're going to need this for the activity today." He said with a wink "Don't worry, no blood or bleach today" I tried to smile, but on the inside, I was a tad annoyed that he brought it up again. Edward smirked. As usual.

As everyone finally came into class, Mr. Banner explained the point of the bells. We were going to test our basic knowledge on Biology. So, we were playing Jeopardy. The period flew by luckily. Me and Edward won, not surprisingly, since I had just been in AP Biology last year. Thankfully, in the heat of the competition, we couldn't talk much more than usual, and the period ended quickly. The rest of the day ended quickly as well. Me and Mike were paired up for badminton in Gym, so he was happy and forgot about his and Edward's little encounter in Lunch. When that finished, I left the locker room and went to the parking lot to find Alice, Jess, and Angela crowded around my truck.

"Hey Bells!" Alice chirped. "Ready?" I shook my head and smiled.

"Yes, Alice." Angela and Jess looked at me.

"So…are you and Alice going in your truck, and me and Ange going in my car?" Jess asked, puzzled.

"I guess," I said. Alice tried not to look too excited.

"Alright." Angela said. "Just follow us, Bella!" We got in our trucks, and went on our way to Port Angeles. Alice kept a steady flow of conversation the entire way. We briefly talked about dresses, because since I had no clue what I was looking for, we couldn't keep much conversation. She began asking the story of how I'd moved to Forks, which I had surprisingly told quite a few people about. She listened intently, and by the time I had finished, we had made it to the main mall in Port Angeles.

Finally, we went inside with Jess and Angela to one of the major department stores. They quickly found their dresses, but I couldn't find anything I really liked, and neither could Alice. Jess had found a stunning emerald green halter dress, that came just above the knees, and emphasized her curves perfectly. Angela found a more subdued lavender spaghetti strap gown that came down to her knees, and was simply and flowing. Both of their gowns matched their personalities perfectly. Alice kept getting dissatisfied with the store's selection however. Angela then piped in.

"Bella, do you and Alice want to keep searching for dresses while Jess and I get some food? Sorry, but we were planning for the dance during lunch and we kind of forgot to eat…" her voice trailed off and as she said this, her stomach rumbled softly. She grimaced, "Sorry."

"That's fine, Ange. Besides, I have a feeling it's going to take a while to find dresses…" She nodded.

"All right, see you later Bells! Meet back here in 3 hours?" Jess said, eager to get food.

"Sounds perfect!" Alice said, "Meet you guys later!" as soon as they were gone, she turned to me. "These gowns are NOT cutting it for me. Want to go somewhere else? I know just the place." I nodded. I didn't have any better idea, and truthfully, Jess and Angela had gotten the best gowns in the place. We got back to the truck, and she directed me to a little hidden shop that had a large selection of beautiful gowns at a pretty cheap price.

When we got in the store, it was like I was her personal Barbie doll. She picked out gowns of all colors and styles, and we went to the dressing room at least ten times, for me and her both. Then, she finally got her gown picked out. It was a little black dress, with a square neckline and spaghetti straps, with a lightly bejeweled corset waist. The skirt ran mid thigh, and was flowy. I don't think anyone else could have pulled it off the way she did. And thankfully, after that, we found my gown too. It was a bit longer, in between mid thigh and above the knees, and a deep dark blue. It was strapless, and had a thin layer of sheer black fabric that was speckled with silver rhinestones in a swirling design. It fit perfectly to each curve I possessed, and I had a necklace that would go perfectly with it, along with a pair of black stiletto heels my mother had gotten me once for a wedding.

Alice gasped as I came out of the dressing room in it. "Ohmygod Bella, you're going to outshine me at the dance!" I rolled my eyes. The only one capable of doing that was Rosalie. "It does look gorgeous though. It's perfect!" She seemed a bit more subdued while she was shopping; probably because she put all of her energy into it. We bought our dresses, and just wandered around the mall for a few hours, buying accessories and the like before we met Angela and Jess again. On the way home, Jess volunteered to drive Alice home, because it was on the way. I agreed, and got back to Charlie's at eight o'clock.

As I rushed in the door, I saw a note on the table directly next to it.

'Bells- Went to Billy's to watch the game. Come if you want, but I think Jake's out with some friends. Also, make sure you call with the details for the dance tomorrow. I don't think he knows anything? Love you, Dad.' I sighed, and smiled.

I called Charlie, and Jake was indeed not there, so I relayed the information about the dance to Billy. Billy would bring Jake over at 7 tomorrow, and we'd go to the dance, and he already knew it was semi formal. After I had a short conversation with Charlie, I made leftovers from the previous night for dinner. Suddenly tired from the shopping expedition, I went upstairs, and did my normal night routine. As I laid in bed, waiting to finally fall asleep, I wondered if Jake would like the dress I had gotten.


	15. Happy Birthday Bella!

All right, I love my subscribers and reviewers, but you guys are only getting one chapter tonight, because this is an epic chapter. I'll make it extra long for you guys though. Okay?

Friday was in a word, hectic. As soon as I had arrived in school, I was ambushed by Angela and Jessica.

"You better not have any plans directly after school," Angela said. "Because we are decorating, and then we get to prep for the dance. Do you want to go to mine, Jess's, or your house?"

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" I asked. I had a feeling they were going to try and pry about things while we got ready for the dance.

"Nope." Jess said, crossing her arms. "So, whose house?" I sighed.

"Mine. My date is coming to my house, so it'll make the most sense to do that." They raised their eyebrows yet again.

"And who is this mystery date?" Jess asked "We never did get around to discussing who it was."

"Is it…" Angela looked around quickly before leaning and whispering "Edward Cullen?" My jaw dropped.

"WHAT?! No. Why would you…just because we went shopping with his sister!? No! I am not going with him!" I was shocked. Edward freaking Cullen? They thought I was…I couldn't even believe it.

"Told you so." Angela said, looking at Jess.

"Well what other explanation…?" Jess said, but then shook her head. "Never mind. Let's go guys, or we're going to be late to first period." So, off we went to first period, and we immediately had a pop quiz sprung on us because it was Friday. Happy Birthday to me. It seemed that Jess and Angela had forgotten about my birthday which, all in all, wasn't a bad thing. After this week, the last thing I needed was more attention drawn to me than necessary.

The rest of the morning went a little bit smoother. In one class, we were watching a movie, so Jess, Angela, and I just went to the back of the room and wrote notes back and forth about what we were going to do to decorate the gym and what little bits of the football field that we could. Jess suggested wrapping twinkle lights around the goalposts, but Angela instantly vetoed it. There was no way that it'd work; how on Earth would we get it down?

The entire day was fine until we had gotten to lunch. Then, chaos started. Edward or Alice didn't come along to bring me to their table, but I suspected that that was because Mike was staying by my side, glaring murderously at their table. I knew the Cullens weren't intimidated by Mike, but I had a feeling they didn't like unnecessary attention as well. As I picked out my lunch, I finally arrived at the table, where Jess, Angela, Tyler, Lauren, and Mike sat. I sat down gingerly between Angela and Jess, and they both smiled and looked at the rest of the groups.

"Okay guys, one, two, three." Jess said. After she said three, the entire group burst into singing a slightly off key rendition of 'Happy Birthday' at the sound of it. I'm pretty sure that the only way you could see a shade of red that was as deep as the shade on my face was to boil a lobster.

"You guys…" I shook my head, and smiled, although I was definitely embarrassed.

"Hold up! We're not quite done yet." Jess said, with a smirk. She reached inside her book bag. "Me and Ange had an ulterior motive for leaving you and Alice for 3 hours yesterday. We had to find you a present. We both chipped in for it." She pulled out a small blue velvet bag and handed it to me. I opened it gingerly, and saw a beautiful pair of silver drop earrings. They would go perfectly with my dress, which was a nice little surprise.

"Ohmigosh you guys, you didn't have to!" I said, tears coming to the corner of my eyes. Mike pulled out a small bouquet of flowers, and I took them "Mike, thank you." I gave them all hugs, and they smiled.

"You like them?" Angela said. "We weren't sure…"

"They're perfect!" I insisted. "I'll wear them tonight!" She glowed. "And thank you very much Mike," I said, sniffing the flowers. "They're absolutely beautiful." He blushed a little bit. The rest of the lunch period was bliss, now that the embarrassing part was over. They hadn't forgotten after all. I was happy to know that I belonged, even if was a bit oddly. When I got to Biology, I was surprised to see Edward standing expectantly.

"Um…hello?" I said awkwardly. Why was he standing? He cleared his throat.

"I erm…know this may be a bit late…" his usual articulate ways of speaking seemed to have disappeared, and had been replaced with nervousness in his voice. "but I was wondering if you would want to go to the dance with me tonight?" Even though he was nervous, he had enough courage to look me in the eyes as he asked.

"Uh…I'm sorry Edward, I already have a date." I said looking downward.

"Oh. Well congratulations to the lucky guy." He said and took his seat. I sat down awkwardly beside him. We spent the period not exchanging words until the last five minutes, when Mr. Banner's lesson plan ran early, and he let us talk. Edward finally decided to try and talk to me again. "Bella?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" I said cautiously.

"Please tell me you're not going with Newton." My head snapped up. He thought I was going with MIKE?

"Uh no. I'm not going with him. I'm going with a family friend." Edward blew out a sigh of relief. I looked at him curiously.

"Sorry." He said, with a crooked smile. "I feel better that I wasn't rejected for Newton. That really would have made me upset." My eyes widened.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know you were going to ask-" He laughed.

"Don't worry about it Bella. No harm done. Well, I'll see you there, so maybe I can get a dance with you. Alice said your dress was very pretty. I want to validate that for myself." My cheeks flamed. This guy just didn't know when to quit. "Joking, Bella. Although I am curious…" The bell rang and he gathered his books gracefully, while I stuffed mine hurriedly in my book bag and got up to go to Gym. As soon as I left the doorway from the Biology room, I heard Edward's voice again.

"Bella?" I turned around. "See you tonight." He had the audacity to wink. "And Happy Birthday." Flabbergasted, I went down the hallway to Gym.

For once, I did a good job in badminton. That may have been because I was pretending that each birdie I hit was Edward Cullen's head. He was so…irritating! So frustrating! So…I didn't even have a large enough vocabulary to find a word to fit. Mike continuously congratulated on my newfound skill with badminton. He called it badminton; I called it a healthy release of frustration. Jess and Angela ambushed me after Gym Class and we decorated the gym with twinkle lights galore, and set up a refreshments table, along with hanging little stars around any doorway that we could. We set up a little barrier of chairs around the football field and put up Tiki Torches every 5 feet or so around the barrier.

When we finally finished, we all rode in my car to Jessica's house to pick up her dress, and then to Angela's to pick up hers. On the way over, I quickly told them of my experience with Edward today.

"He WHAT?!" Jessica asked, nearly breaking all the windows in my truck.

"Wow. Edward. Cullen." Angela said in an awed voice.

"I don't see what the big deal is." I said in an irritated tone "I mean, you guys have probably gotten asked by him, right?" they shook their heads. "What?"

"Bella. Edward Cullen doesn't ask ANYONE to ANYTHING. Period." Jess said slowly, almost as if to make sure I completely understood everything she was saying. I shook my head.

"Whatever. He's still…"

"Dreamy?" Angela said

"Mysterious?" Jess filled in

"No! He's…incorrigible!" And with that, the conversation of Edward Cullen was over with. When we arrived at my house, Jess and Angela pestered me about who my mystery date was if I had turned down 'Edward freakin' Cullen!'. So I told them about Jake, bit by bit. Since they didn't really know him, they weren't all that interested, but they were happy for me. The time flew as we got ready for the dance. Angela put her long dark hair up in an elegant updo, while Jess straightened hers and pulled some parts of it back. I decided to try and curl my hair so it was somewhat wavy. We put on our gowns, and Jess and Angela oohed and ahhed, not having seen the dress before. They insisted on doing my makeup, and I had to admit, it didn't look half bad. I put on my earrings and shoes, and off they went, to go to their houses to get picked up by their dates.

As soon as they were gone, I quickly ran back upstairs as fast I was able without injuring myself. I heard Charlie come in, and shouted a greeting, while spritzing myself with my favorite perfume. Twenty minutes later, Charlie came up the stairs to get me to come down to greet Jake. As he walked in my room, his eyes widened.

"Bells, you look…beautiful honey." I blushed. "I'm not joking Bells, you've really grown up into a stunning young woman." I thought I saw his eyes water slightly.

"Dad, quit it. It's just me, remember? I flew past him, and went down the stairs delicately. As I turned the corner into the living room, I saw Jake's back to me, sitting on the couch as Billy sat across from him. Billy's eyes widened as well.

"Bella, you look lovely." He said warmly. I smiled.

"Thanks Billy." At the sound of my voice, Jake got up hurriedly, and turned around. He was wearing a simple but stunning black suit with a black tie. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he looked quite dashing.

"Bella…" he said, at a loss for words.

"Jake! You look great!" I said, rushing over to him for a hug. He quickly accepted me into his arms. I realized that with my four inch deathtrap heels on, I barely came up to his shoulder.

"You look amazing Bells." He reached into his jacket pocket. "I have a present for you too." He handed me a leather pouch with a drawstring tie. I undid it carefully, not wanting to mess up the bag. I shook what was in the bag into the palm of my hand, and saw a delicate silver chain with a silver charm of a howling wolf head with a moon. It was beautiful, and the detail was exquisite.

"Jake…" I said, at a loss for words. He smiled.

"You like it?" He said awkwardly, blushing a little bit.

"I love it! Thank you so much! Can you put it on for me?" he carefully picked it up and put it on gently.

"There. You look even more ravishing, if that's even possible." I smiled and took his arm. Charlie and Billy observed, huge smiles on their faces. "Let's get going, okay?" I nodded my head.

"We'll be back around 11" I said, rushing out the door with Jake. We got into my truck, and he smiled at me in the hour of twilight.

"You look really beautiful Bells. Words do you no justice." He said, gently touching my face before I started the truck. I blushed.

"You're quite handsome yourself Jake," I said smiling, and started the truck with my right hand. His left hand left from my face, and as I steered with my left hand, I held his left hand with my right. As we got out of the truck, we walked arm in arm to the school. As we arrived, we were immediately attacked by Jess and Angela, and their dates, Mike and Tyler.

"Wow Bells, you look…" Mike's voice trailed off, and he then noticed Jake standing next to me. "beautiful. Who's this?" He asked with a hint of jealousy. Jess and Angela just smiled and winked at me.

"Nice catch!" Angela mouthed. I smiled a thanks.

"This is Jacob Black, Mike. And Jake, this is Mike, Tyler, Jess, and Angela." Jake shook Mike and Tyler's hands, and slightly bowed for Jess and Angela.

"It's a pleasure to meet Bella's friends here." He smiled and I looked at him, half smiling and half rolling my eyes. He was showing off big time.

"Well come on!" Jess said, ushering us into the gym. "We didn't decorate this to have it wasted by standing outside!" We got in, and were immediately surrounded by a wall of people. I recognized very few of them, and the music was extremely loud. I frowned. This was a bit more lively than I had expected. Jake had a slight look of surprise on his face. I led him to the less populated, more quiet area on the football field. It was more beautiful than I had left it; it was as if the night had transformed it.

"May I have this dance, Ms. Swan?" Jake said, swooping into a deep bow. I giggled.

"Why yes you may Mr. Black." We didn't really dance to the beat of the more current songs that were playing; we just did whatever we felt like. Sometimes I danced by standing on his feet and he spun me around, at other times, we were just goofy and did disco moves or the YMCA. As he was whirling me around on his feet, I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. Jake's face had gone from a carefree smile to a stony glare. I turned around, a bit surprised. It was Edward.

"Why Bella, you look superb." He said, looking at me hungrily. My eyes narrowed slightly. "May I have the dance I asked for earlier? Since I was beaten out to be your date for this evening?" He sneered in Jake's direction. Jake didn't take so lightly to that.

"Back off Cullen." He growled, sweeping me behind him. He was taller than Edward, so he looked down at him menacingly. Edward's eyebrow rose slightly.

"Excuse me Black? I believe I was talking to Isabella, not you. Now if you would excuse me…" He tried to get around Jake, and Jake quickly stepped in his path.

"You're excused. Now leave." I was a bit shocked by Jake's furious response. I know he didn't trust the Cullens, but this was a bit of an extreme reaction. Edward sighed.

"Must you continue to be difficult? I asked for a dance, not her hand in marriage. And I still haven't gotten an answer." He said, looking meaningfully at me.

"Um…no thank you Edward." I said sheepishly. I looked down at the ground.

"I see." Edward's lips pursed. "Well, if you wish to dance with someone other than a dog," he glared at Jake, "you can find me." He stalked off back towards the gym. Jake glowered after him. I shook Jake gently.

"Come on Jake. Don't let him ruin our night." He still looked after Edward, shaking gently. "Jake? Please?" I asked, looking up at him. He broke out of the death glare he had fixated on Edward's back.

"Sorry Bells. He and his family…" his voice trailed off.

"Its fine, Jake. Just don't let it get to you for tonight." He looked down at me as if that wasn't possible. "For me?" I asked hesitantly. He thought for a moment, and then smiled.

"For you." After that, we danced the night away. It was 10:45 before we knew it, and we left to go back to Charlie's. As we arrived in the driveway, it was an awkward silence.

"Thank you for tonight Jake. Thank you for everything. I couldn't dream of a better birthday present." I said, looking at him. He smiled.

"I should be the one thanking you, Bells. I got to spend a night dancing with a beautiful amazing girl. What else could I ask for?" I smiled

"Thank you Jake." I said, smiling up at him. He touched my face gently.

"For you, anything." Then, slowly, he began to lean in and tilted his head. My eyes close as I leaned in too. Our first kiss was wonderful and sweet, and perfect in every way. We walked to the front door, hand in hand. As we reached the front door, he whispered into my ears and gave me goose bumps.

"I will always love you. Never forget that." He kissed me gently on the forehead, and we walked into Charlie's house together.


	16. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Ahhh so tired tonight! But I love all the amazing reviews I get from you guys, so finished writing this little chapter. Yes I know that parts of it are as fluffy as cotton candy. Sometimes, that's the best part of it, I think :]

After the most wonderful day I had ever had in Forks, I literally floated upstairs after saying goodnight to Billy and Jake. I don't think there could have been a better feeling than having your feelings for someone returned and feeling loved. If there was, it must be pretty dang rare. I could only blissfully dream about what tomorrow would be like, when I got to hang out with Billy and Jake for my 'party'. One thing I knew for sure was that I was never taking my necklace off.

The next morning, I took a little more care into my outfit than usual. I picked a black short-sleeved shirt that showed a little bit of cleavage, but was a bit dressy. I added one of my favorite pairs of dark jeans, and ushered Charlie out of the door so we could get to Billy and Jake's as soon as possible. In the truck, I let Charlie drive could so I even try and put on a bit of makeup. I figured that it couldn't hurt, right? I gently touched the necklace that Jake had given me. It was still there, proof that last night hadn't been some wonderful dream; it had been real.

When we finally reached their house, I bounded up the stairs excitedly. I could not wait to see Jake. I rang the doorbell, and not two seconds later had the door opened was I in Jake's strong arms. He wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Bells." He whispered lovingly into my hair. I smiled into his chest, feeling small but protected in his arms. Butterflies were fluttering anxiously around my stomach, because I was so close to him. I breathed in his scent of cinnamon and bonfires. It was distinctive and amazing, just like him. I then noticed that Charlie had arrived to the door, and was trying to walk around me and Jake to get inside. I blushed slightly, but Charlie just had a smile on his face. I heard Billy's voice inside.

"Bella! Since the game is about to come on, do you want to go to the beach with Jake? I heard that some of his friends are going to be there as well…" I nodded excitedly. I was up for anything that involved Jake. I grabbed his hand and eagerly pulled him towards the truck. On our way there, Jake started laughing.

"Bells, calm down, we have plenty of time to hang with Quil and Embry." He put his arm around my waist. "And I don't plan on letting my girlfriend go anytime soon. That is, if you'll have me as your boyfriend." He said, with a wink, and a quick Eskimo kiss. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Of course I'll be your girlfriend. What did you expect?" He just smiled at me as we got in the car. We held hands in the car as he directed the way to La Push beach, and as we got there, we made our way to a bonfire with Quil and Embry and several other teenagers. Quil and Embry raised their eyebrows at Jake's arm around my waist.

"Dude…what's going on?" Embry asked, not sure how to identify this recent development between Jake and I.

"What, I can't come to the bonfire without my girlfriend on the day after her birthday?" Jake said, tightening his grip around my waist. Quil and Embry broke out into huge smiles, while the rest of the kids around the bonfire exchanged glances.

"Congrats man!" Quil said, slapping Jake on the back. "You too Bella!" I smiled happily. I don't think my life could have gotten any better at that moment. Unfortunately, it got a bit worse.

"Awh, how sweet." One teenage boy said with a sneer. "Little Jacob's found himself a girlfriend. How adorable." He rolled his eyes. "Excuse me while I go barf in the ocean." Jake's eyes narrowed slightly

"Paul…" He said in a warning tone.

"What Jake? Can't take a little heat about your girlfriend? Or are you worried that she can't take it?" he said, winking at me obnoxiously. "Girl, what are you doing with a kid like him? I can show you a real good time." He said, looking me up and down. Jake started to shake a bit, and took a step towards Paul.

"Jake, just ignore him, he's egging you on." I said, trying to tug Jake back, to no avail.

"Yeah Jake, listen to your girl. Take a joke." He said, throwing his head back, and walking towards Jake as well. With each syllable that came out of Paul's mouth, Jake seemed to shake a little more, and it was starting to get more and more furious. Paul was equally shaking. Out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw me.

"Quil, Embry, get her away from me and him. I don't want her to get hurt." They didn't have to be told, they grabbed me, and along with the other kids, we got a distance of 10 feet away from Jake and Paul. They were starting to get angry, and they both began shaking violently.

"Are they okay? Shouldn't we do something?!" I asked nervously. As soon as I tried to go forward, the shaking became so intense that suddenly, an enormous gray wolf was in the place of Paul, snarling angrily. Then, in the blink of an eye, an even more gigantic reddish brown wolf was in Jake's place. They started brawling among tatters of clothes, while I stood, wide eyed.

"What…just….happened?" I managed to get out, staring straight ahead.

"Jeez Bella, didn't Jake tell you the legends?" Quil asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes…" I said, not making any connection.

"Did he tell you that they're real?" Quil asked, a smug smile on his face.

"They're…real?" I said, and then my body crumpled into the sand, as I blacked out.

"Bella…Bells…Isabella!" I heard a familiar warm voice calling my name as I drifted out of unconsciousness. My eyelids fluttered, and I saw Jake leaning over me.

"Oh. Jake! What just…did you just…turn into a…wolf?" He grimaced.

"Yeah. I was kind of hoping to talk to you about that later. Preferably much later…" He looked deep into my eyes. "Are you okay? Are you upset? I completely understand if you are. I-" I cut him off.

"I'm fine…just dealing with the fact that my boyfriend is apparently a giant werewolf, as are his friends. Is there anything else I should know? The Cullens are vampires perhaps?" I asked sarcastically, not quite able to believe what I had seen.

"Well, actually, they are." My jaw dropped. "Hello? Earth to Bells?" He leaned towards me hesitantly, and then when he saw I didn't flinch, he enveloped me in a huge hug. "I'm sorry. I honestly was going to tell you today, I just…didn't know how you'd react." I looked up at him.

"What, did you think I wouldn't like you anymore because you just so happen to turn into a giant wolf?" He looked at me worriedly. "Jake," I said, lightly touching his face. "I love you for who you are, not what you are. What you are doesn't matter to me. You're still my Jacob." He broke out with the most jubilant smile I had ever seen grace his face.

"Really Bells!?" he asked excitedly, "You're not just saying that?" I rolled my eyes.

:"You complete and utter dork. If I was just saying it, would I still be here in your arms telling you that I loved you? I don't think so." He smiled down at me.

"Thank you so much Bella." He said quietly, resting his head on top of mine. "You have no clue how much it means to me."

"Jake, I love you. That means it would take a LOT more than you turning into a wolf to scare me off." I pulled him closer to me. "You are everything I need." He spun me around gently, and I saw tears in his eyes. As one escaped and began rolling down his cheek, I kissed it away. "There. All better. Can't have my Jacob upset," I said, snuggling into him. "By the way…where is everyone?" I asked, quizzically. He laughed.

"They left to try and get Paul to calm down. They figured we'd be fine. Plus, we get to see a beautiful sunset next to a bonfire. I think this may be the best birthday party I've been to." I smiled.

"This is the best one I've had. Let's enjoy it together." We watched the sky turn from its light blue to a rainbow of colors, with deep magentas and rich oranges, golden yellows and deep blues along with a finale of calm dark purple. It was phenomenal. As we arrived to Billy's, we had a little cake that Billy had bought from a local bakery, and we ate it together, Jake and I side by side.

It was easily the best birthday party I had ever had.


	17. Sunsets and Starry Skies

Okay first, message to my amazing subscribers/reviewers. I am SO sorry for not updating last night. I was on a horrid computer that froze and I lost all I had of the chapter, and it was just annoying me. So, to make up for it, you guys get an amazingly long chapter…or maybe two. Not quite sure yet, you'll see soon enough. Much love to you all! Oh and just a funny little note; when I first started Twilight, I was a total Team Edward fan –cringes- I know, but now, I have happily gone over to Team Jake.

When I returned to school on Monday, I was a bit worried about encountering Edward Cullen. But at lunch, I didn't see him or his family. When I asked Mr. Banner where my lab partner had gone, he told me that the Cullens had apparently gone on emergency family business somewhere, but were attending to their studies via email and would be back sometime in October. Surprisingly, I felt much better after that. I'm sure that Jake wouldn't be too upset by this.

The rest of September flew by. I spent day after day with Jake. We almost always had dinner with Billy and Charlie at either house. Billy and Charlie would watch a game, and me and Jake would make dinner together, talking about our day, and just spending time together. We did get to have some fun dates though. We went to multiple movies, and of course, I jumped every ten minutes in each horror film. We had a more successful try at mini-golf where I didn't fall in the water, but Jake never would let me forget that one time. Basically, we just spent as much time with each other as possible; letting ourselves enjoy each other as much as we were able. I had never had been as happy as I was now. Just the thought of Jake got my stomach full of butterflies, and I had a constant smile. The effect he had on me was ridiculous and totally out of proportion, but it was amazing all the same.

School was a bit easier since the Cullens had left. I didn't have to worry about Edward saying or doing things that would provoke any of my friends, or worse, Jake. October was off to an amazing start though. Mike and Jessica had gotten together and were a couple, which she was absolutely thrilled about. Angela was trying very hard to plan this month's dance, which had the theme of Halloween where no one could get in without a costume. I couldn't wait for it; even though me and Jake spent an extraordinary amount of time together, it was always nice to dance with him. Hopefully it would be even better than my birthday. However, it wasn't our month anniversary yet, so we had plenty of time until Halloween to get a costume for each of us. I wasn't really warming to the idea of a couple costume, but I was definitely frustrated about what to be for Halloween. I talked to Jake about it.

"What do you think I should be?" I asked while he held me in his arms. Charlie and Billy were out fishing for the day.

"Hmm…the beautiful girlfriend of a werewolf? Wait, Halloween's about being something you're not…shoot." He nuzzled my head and squeezed me closer to him.

"Thank you, but I need suggestions…" He sighed and rested his head on top of mine, almost like a totem pole.

"Be true to your namesake and be a swan?" I wrinkled my nose.

"Too many feathers. I'd feel like a Vegas showgirl." He lifted his head and turned my face to his.

"I wouldn't mind that suggestion…" he said, leaning in for a kiss, and I gave in gently. Then after a few minutes I pulled away.

"I really need an idea Jake…" I said, giving him puppy-dog eyes. "Please help me?" He sighed, and looked down at me,

"You know, they should make the puppy-dog look illegal. It works." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Well, what do you want? To be scary? Different than yourself? Something that won't be too difficult?"

"Hmm…different than myself sounds good…and something not too difficult…I got it! What about a pirate!?" He looked down at me.

"You'd be a cute little pirate. You can shiver my timbers any time you want." I shot him a look. He laughed. "You'll be amazing." He said and wrapped me in his arms again. "You always are." I rested my head against his chest, perfectly content with how we just were. We didn't have to pretend to be something we weren't like some other couples. We just were ourselves, and we were each other's security blanket for everything. And luckily, our dads were pretty happy about it as well.

After that one blissful evening, and exactly a week before our one month anniversary, things changed. Drastically. I came in the next Monday morning to walk with Angela and Jessica, and on our way to the cafeteria for lunch, I heard a familiar voice.

"Isabella Swan." Said a deep voice in a seductive tone. I turned around to see none other than Edward Cullen leaning against the hallway wall, his arms crossed. Jess and Angela's eyes widened, and I motioned for them to go on by themselves. I'd be fine dealing with him. If not, I could always talk to Jake later.

"Edward Cullen. Long time no see. So what do I owe the honor of this meeting?" He noticed my sarcasm. His eyes narrowed the slightest bit. He arrogantly strode toward me.

"Well, after the way we left off, I thought it wasn't proper to leave someone of your caliber hanging." He got within five feet of me. He sniffed the air. "You smell of dog." I glared.

"Thanks."

"No, its not you…its more likely who you're hanging out with." His eyes fell upon the necklace that Jake had given me. I was wearing it, as usual. I never took it off. "Yes." He continued. "It is most definitely who you are hanging out with. Bella," he said hurriedly, "you should know the truth about him and his kind. They are not safe! They are not to be trusted!" He rushed forward, and I put my hands up.

"They are not to be trusted? You don't think I can trust my own boyfriend? That's a laugh and a half, especially considering what you are." His eyebrows lifted and a small look of surprise came on his face.

"Oh, so he's told you I see. Although, I'm sure that he hasn't given you the whole story. Especially," he said, lowering his voice. "about imprinting." Now was my turn to be surprised.

"Imprinting?" I asked, unable to help myself. He looked around.

"Let's go somewhere more private, shall we?" He brought me to his car and we sat in it, before he continued. "Imprinting," he said, looking me straight in the eyes, "is possibly one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to someone involved with a werewolf. A werewolf has their perfect match, you see. The one person that they're meant to be with. And once they lay their eyes on them, the love is unshakable, is inescapable. They can barely afford to be parted for five hours, never mind an entire school day." He looked down at me, his tone getting more gentle. "I'm truly sorry that you didn't know about this. After the years that we've known the tribes, we've seen and heard about the many facets of being a werewolf. They're very volatile, you know. They can change within a millisecond." I looked into Edward's eyes, and I saw no lies, no hidden plots.

"So what if he didn't tell me?" I said somewhat indignantly. "Maybe I'm the one he's imprinted on."

"Maybe, maybe…not." Edward said softly. He took my shoulder very gently. "Bella, if he were imprinted to you, you would hardly be able to be separated from one another without an excruciating amount of heartbreak. And I would definitely think that if the imprint were the case, he would have told you." At this, I started to tremble slightly.

"But…why wouldn't he have told me?" I said, my eyes watering. Maybe Jake didn't know. I immediately shot that suggestion down though; Billy was the head of the tribe, they would know everything. Edward gently put his arm around my shoulder. I was too into my own little world to really notice or react.

"I'm sorry Bella," he said softly. "I wouldn't have thought he would have kept such an important thing from you. If you want, you can talk to me about it." I shook my head and looked at the clock on Edward's dashboard.

"No thanks. Oh great. We're going to be late to Biology." I quickly wiped my tears.

"Who cares?" Edward said "You and I are the best students in there anyways. I have an idea." He leaned closer to my ear. "Why don't you and I skip the rest of school? We can just drive around, and if you want, we can talk about the imprint and stuff." I thought about this. Driving around might be a bad idea. Besides, I didn't exactly want to get kidnapped by a vampire. But I definitely was not in good shape to go to Biology.

"Can we just…talk about something different without driving anywhere? I have a feeling that I will want to go to La Push directly after school." I had no clue how I was going to approach this at all with Jake. "Like, how did you become a vampire?" Edward raised his eyebrow at my common use of the word.

"Well…as you can imagine, I'm very old, over a century old in fact. In the early nineteen hundreds, there was an epidemic of the Spanish Influenza. Carlisle was a doctor during this time because he has been living for several centuries, and has always tried to help people. I was infected with the Spanish Influenza, and by the time he had me as a patient, I was already half gone. So, he decided to transform me into one of his kind. He had been alone all of the time he had been a vampire; naturally never being able to really confide in anyone, or have one singular companion. So, in a way, I became his son." He looked off in the distance, almost as if he was in another place. "Soon enough, we came across other members of our family. Esme was also saved in a hospital, and we found Rose, who in turn found Emmett. Alice and Jasper came out of nowhere, and eagerly joined our family. We were lucky enough to become a family, and share the quality of not taking human lives for our thirst." I didn't know how to quite respond to his family. He looked at me with his crooked smile. There was a note of sorrow in there that I hadn't detected before.

"So…what do you do to satiate your thirst?" I asked, a thousand questions forming in my mind, but I settled on that one in particular. For now anyway. He smiled.

"We feed on animals. Not exactly our ideal nutrition, but it satisfies the thirst, and we don't have to kill any humans. I'm surprised you don't have any more questions," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, actually I do. Are you really the only one without…a partner?" I asked carefully. I didn't know if that was the polite way to ask something like that. He leaned his head back on his seat.

"Yes, I am. There's been one time where I have felt anything for anyone, and that doesn't appear to have worked out just yet." I looked down.

"That's so sad." I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes. But, you never know what will happen." A small smile appeared. "I mean, in this world, who knows?" I nodded and then looked up at the clock again.

"Ohmy…it's almost time for Jake to get out of school." I sat up straight. "I think I definitely need to talk to him about this." Edward looked at me

"Would you like me to come?"

"No thanks." I tried not to grimace. This was going to be hard to ask Jake about. I didn't need a vampire who could possibly be lying coming with me. I got out of the car, and Edward did too as he walked me to my car. I got in the driver's side and rolled down the window. "Thank you Edward. For everything." He nodded.

"It was no problem Bella. Remember," he said, his face slowly growing serious. "you can talk to me about anything you need." I nodded and began my way to La Push. I had been to the high school there often enough to know where it was. I arrived a few minutes early of it letting out. I parked my truck and waited by the doors. I went through scenarios in my mind, trying to figure out how to approach the subject of imprinting with Jake. Suddenly, the ringing of the bell awoke me from my little trance, and I straightened up, standing on my tip toes to see where Jake was. I saw Quil and Embry first, and he was laughing with them, and making jokes. I smiled. This was my Jacob.

I started walking slowly towards him, and he didn't notice me. I rolled my eyes, and hid in a slight doorway to wait for him to pass. As he did, I began running after him, and jumped on his back. He was shocked, and whirled around, but I had my arms around him, so he couldn't see me. However, Quil and Embry could. They found it hysterical as Jake circled around like a dog chasing his tail trying to see who his mystery attacker was. Finally, I let go, and he saw me. His expression instantly changed from being frustrated to a smile of bliss. I couldn't help but mirror the smile, even though I had my own frustration about him not telling me about the imprint thing.

"Bells," He said, instantly picking me up like a child and holding me in his arms. I rolled my eyes.

"You can put me down you know."

"Not happening."

"Want a ride home?" He wrinkled his nose.

"Do I get to drive?" He asked eagerly.

"Ha. You do not have your driver's license, mister." I said, poking his nose. "So I am the driver here." Quil and Embry snickered.

"Burned by the girl" Quil said mockingly. Jake glared at him. He instantly backed off.  
"See you later Bells!" Embry said, dragging Quil by the collar to get out of the little line of fire that Jake had created. Suddenly, as Jake was sniffing my hair, he drew his head back sharply.

"What's that smell Bells? It's too sharp, too sweet. It almost smells like…vampires. But the Cullens are away?" the last sentence was a question. I sighed.

"They're back Jake. In fact, I had a conversation with Edward Cullen today." His eyes narrowed.

"About what? Do you need me to talk to him?" He gripped me slightly tighter.

"I'm fine for the moment right now. I want to talk to you about one thing that he told me about though." My frustration about the imprint thing had faded, but I was still extremely curious. "How come you never told me about imprints?" Jake's face dropped slightly.

"Um, can we talk about this when we get in your truck?" He said looking around cautiously.

"Sure." He gently put me down, and we walked hand in hand to the truck. As we got inside, he ran a hand through his hair.

"The reason I didn't tell you about imprints is because I didn't think I'd have to worry about it just yet." I raised my eyebrow. "You see, imprints don't really start until you're around sixteen or so. I thought we still had a year or so before we had to start worrying about that." My face dropped and I blushed slightly. How had I ever doubted him? "Did the vampire tell you that?" Jake said, with a semi-annoyed look.

"No in fact. He just told me about the imprint part. And he seemed to try and make you the bad guy." I put my head in my hands. "And I almost believed him that you were trying to hide it from me." Jake put his arm around my shoulders.

"Bells, I know that you love me, and besides, the guy knows how to convince people. He can read their minds. He knows exactly what they're thinking, and exactly what makes them tick." I shook my head

"I was so stupid though, to doubt you." He pulled me closer.

"Hey. You were not stupid. I should have told you about it earlier. It kind of is a big deal. And I know that you wouldn't have gotten mad at me and left me." He touched my face gently. "Bella, I know you. You care about everyone you know, and the only reason you were upset by it was because you couldn't believe it. And you had to get it figured out." I laid my head against his chest.

"I'm sorry for ever doubting you Jake. Do you forgive me?" I whispered.

"What is there to forgive?" He asked, stroking my hair.

"Thank you Jake."

"I love you baby. You're my Bella." I looked up at him

"And I love you too." I was so happy that I had talked to him about it. I was beyond angry at Edward for even somewhat trying to drive a wedge between Jake and mine's relationship. Though, a small part of my mind was sorry for him because he had no partner.

Luckily, the rest of the week went without incident with Edward Cullen. Me and Jake were closer than ever; if that was even possible. We celebrated our one month anniversary on October 14th, and it was one of the best nights I'd ever had. We created a bonfire on the beach, and were just there together, talking and snuggling. We watched the mystical colors the fire changed with the sea salt on the driftwood we burned. We got to watch the sunset together again, and it was mystical. The day disappeared into night, the blue sky transforming yet again with a symphony of colors. Soon the rich warm colors of the change into night left a dark blue sky that looked like velvet sprinkled with stars of diamonds that shined by moonlight. It was an absolutely breathtaking sight.

Beautiful was not a strong enough word to describe it. It was striking, and wondrous. It was magical and splendiferous. And it was made a million times better because I was spending it with the most wonderful person I could have ever have imagined. I couldn't believe I had had a moment's doubt about him not telling me something. But, he had forgiven me, which was one of the many traits of him that made me love him so much.


	18. Chats in the Bathroom

Ahhh my computer was beyond difficult today! First it disconnected from the internet when I was going to write this, and then I didn't because I got frustrated, and then it did work…anyways, just a few notes:

1-Ann Darrow is in King Kong; she's the blonde chick that gets held by King Kong on the Empire State Building-I wikipedia-ed that, since I haven't seen the movie myself…

2- I lalalala-LOVE everyone's reviews. Each one makes me smile each time I see I have a new notification of one in my inbox. Love you guys!

When I arrived in school the next morning, I was immediately ambushed by Edward Cullen.

"So. What did he say?" Edward said, inspecting his nails for any dirt. That wasn't the only place he was trying to find dirt from either apparently. He wanted information on Jake's reaction. Unfortunately for him, it was much different than he thought.

"Actually, he told me the truth about imprints. The WHOLE truth. Like the fact that it doesn't even occur until a werewolf is sixteen or older." I crossed my arms smugly. Edward raised an eyebrow in slight shock.

"Oh really? Hm. We haven't had that piece of information." He looked at me. "Obviously, since it's difficult and frustrating to associate with werewolves, we don't exactly exchange words often. Did he tell you anything else?" He said with a pointed glance.

"Actually, yes. He told me that you can read minds. I presume this is correct?" Edward rubbed his hands together at this.

"Well, he was somewhat right. I can read everyone's minds. Except for one particular individual's." I looked up at him snidely.

"And who would that be?"

"Why, it's you Bella." My eyes widened slightly, but I didn't move my facial expression.

"Really now?" I asked in disbelief. "And why could that be?" He hesitated before answering.

"Quite frankly, I'm not sure. This has never happened to me, not in the time that I've been a vampire. I can read anyone's mind for miles around, except for one of the few people whose minds I actually do want to know." I rolled my eyes.

"You always want what you can't have." I said off-handedly

"You have no idea." He muttered darkly. I looked at him "Never mind. Don't we need to be going to our first period classes? Unless, you want to skip with me again." I glared slightly.

"No thank you." I said frostily. "I'm quite content." He smirked that obnoxious crooked grin.

"Whatever you say." He then turned around and began walking off to wherever his first period class was, but before he was out of my line of sight, he turned around and shot me a wink. I could feel the blood rising to my face. Who did this guy think he was?!

The rest of the day I resolved to ignore Edward Cullen. He was more annoying than I could handle, and releasing frustration for him by playing badminton in Gym was going to get old quickly. And I was definitely not going to have Jake talk to him. The last thing I needed was a brawl between mythical creatures.

If Jess and Angela noticed my slightly angry behavior that was caused by irritation for him, they didn't say a word. At lunch of course, Jess was infatuated with Mike and vice versa. So they were off in their little world. Angela was working on stuff for the Halloween dance, so she was in another universe completely. I just stared down at my food, and was surprised by a small tap on the shoulder. I whirled around, half expecting Edward, and to my surprise, I found Alice.

"Hi Bella." She said lightly. "Can I…talk to you for a sec?" She seemed a little uneasy. I glanced at her usual table. Rosalie and Emmett were gazing adoringly into each other's eyes, and Jasper was attempting to trap Edward in conversation, but Jasper couldn't distract the burning glare he was shooting toward Alice. However, she paid it no mind.

"Um, sure…do you want to go somewhere else?" She nodded, and went off in a random direction. We rounded corners until we finally reached the one bathroom that no girl used, simply because it was hard to get to. "What do you want to talk about Alice?" I had no clue why she was bringing me here, or whatever it was she wanted to talk about.

"Okay," She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "He's beyond pissed about me even talking to you about this." I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Edward. He doesn't take my 'meddling' well." She snorted at the word 'meddling'. "Bella, I just wanted to let you know that Edward…well…he gets very protective of people he cares about. And, he…" her voice trailed off, and her head dropped. She seemed a little too embarrassed to continue, so I tried guessing.

"He what? He likes to annoy me? He finds my reactions funny?" She shook her head. "Then what? He likes me?" I said sarcastically.

"Yes." She said in a quiet tone, still looking at the ground. "He really does. He's fascinated by you. The thing is, Bella, I have never seen Edward like this. He's like a brother to me, and I've known him for decades. He's constantly worrying about you whenever you're with Jacob. He's constantly hunting so he won't be a danger to you if he gets the courage to talk to you one day. He's also trying to talk to you by getting advice from Emmett." She rolled her eyes at this one, "Emmett of all people is not the one to consult about talking to girls. It doesn't suit Edward; it just makes him seem like an arrogant jerk." Sounded about right. "Not that he can't be at times, but when people get to see the real Edward, he's not like that at all." She looked into my eyes. "Bella, he honestly cares about you. So can you at least try and be friends with him? For me? Because he doesn't have anyone outside of this family he can talk to. And for some reason, he really feels like he can with you." I took this all into consideration before I answered her.

Edward was alone, even if he did have his family. I could imagine he didn't want to constantly go to his father about his school life. Jasper had a completely different personality as did Emmett. Rosalie was on another planet, where personalities were concerned. Alice was the only one who was close to him in that sense. And he probably would have liked someone else to talk to as well.

"I can try to be his friend." I said grudgingly. "But I am telling you right now, there is no way on this Earth that Jake is going to take this well. Not in the least." I shook my head, imagining what was going to happen when I told Jake about this. Alice bounced up and down excitedly.

"Really Bella? That's great! And you and I can get closer too! It's been too long since I had a fresh gal pal. Rose is good, but she's usually tied up with Emmett." Alice clapped excitedly. I shook my head at her and smiled. She was a little ridiculous, but it was totally her. "And don't worry, if Edward says anything out of line, you can come to me right away! I'll straighten him out." I smiled.

"All right, all right. I'll sit with you guys at lunch for the time being, if that's okay?" she nodded eagerly. "I don't want to rush a friendship when he irritates me with every other word that comes out of his mouth." She frowned slightly at that.

"You know, that's honestly not him. He's not really used to dealing with girls that he doesn't think of in a family sense. And Emmett is one of the worst people to take advice from when it comes to with handling girls in a friendly matter. He'll get better in time though." I nodded.

"I hope so."

"So…we're going back now?" She twirled delicately. I nodded, laughing gently. She rushed forward and gave me a hug.

"Thank you so much Bella! You will not regret this!!" I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever you say Alice." We made our way back to the table. Edward's expression was annoyed, a little happy, and a bit embarrassed.

"That was unnecessary." He said to her as she sat down next to Jasper. She stuck her tongue out and promptly ignored him. I laughed gently. A smile tugged at the ends of Jasper and Edward's mouths too. Alice quickly whispered something in Edward's ear, and his expression got a bit more embarrassed. I sent her a quizzical look, but she just whispered to me,

"Just getting him to drop the obnoxious jerk act. And warning him not to take advice from Emmett in that field ever again." I nodded my head in comprehension.

Alice then steered us into conversation about the upcoming Halloween dance. She apparently was going as the Bride of Frankenstein, and Jasper was going as Frankenstein's monster. I tried not to roll my eyes at that. She'd need a wig in order to achieve the full effect, but I was sure she could manage. Rose piped in about how she and Emmett were being Ann Darrow and King Kong. I found that funny. Rosalie would of course get to show off skin while Emmett showed brawn. Alice asked me what I was being, and I meagerly offered my being a pirate. She oohed and ahhed and offered to lend me clothes. I didn't decline, but I wasn't sure I'd take her up on her offer. When she turned to Edward to ask him about his costume, he wouldn't let a single detail or hint slip. She pouted as soon as the bell rang. He rustled her hair, and he and I walked off to Biology.

"So you're being a pirate?" he asked, a little more gently than he would have normally. I clutched my book bag to my side a bit tighter.

"Yeah." I said, squirming slightly. "I didn't want to do a couple costume, and it was the best I could come up with."

"I think it's actually quite good." I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "No really, it is. Just imagine. Captain Swan, mistress of the seven seas." I thought about it.

"I could get used to that." He laughed.

"Of course you could." Whatever Alice had said to him, it had worked. He had been more sociable and less annoying. The rest of Biology was actually fun. I was able to somewhat enjoy it, since my lab partner wasn't irritating me, and we actually exchanged a few jokes. I went off to Gym less frustrated, and I was worse in badminton. But as I left the Gym and went to the parking lot, I immediately started driving to La Push. I had a feeling Jake would want to know about the new friendship with me and the Cullens as soon as possible. Plus, keeping it a secret would be disastrous. But not having a friendship could have been even worse. If the current tensions between the two continued to escalate, I couldn't imagine what would happen. The town could have been thrown into a bit of chaos, of that much I was sure. I drove straight to Jake's house, since school was already over for him. I knocked on the door.

"Hello?" He said answering the door. Then he saw me and as usual, picked me up in his arms. "Bells!" He nuzzled my neck. "Two days in a row I get to see you right after school. I like this schedule." I smiled and kissed him gently

"Me too. But I had a feeling you might want to know something that happened today." He sniffed me.

"Anything to do with the Cullens?" I grimaced.

"Do I stink to you or something? Because I honestly don't smell anything unpleasant."

"No, they just have a very irritating, strong scent that hurts my superior sense of smell. But anyways. You wanted to tell me something?" He brought me inside, shutting the door with his foot, and sat down on the couch with me in his lap. I immediately curled up, letting him hold me, and I gently started playing with his hair.

"Alice Cullen talked to me today about being friends with the Cullens, and somewhat specifically Edward." His eyes widened slightly.

"Bella…" he started, but I cut him off

"Not done. I think this could be good Jake. I think that it could possibly save you guys from killing each other." He rolled his eyes. "You know it could definitely happen, so don't act like it wouldn't," I said teasing him lightly. "And also, I think he really needs someone outside of his family to talk to." Now came the part where Jake wasn't going to like it.

"He needs someone outside of his family to talk to? Honestly Bella, the guy has six people in his family; I think he could find someone. Why does he want to talk to just you?" I furrowed my brow at that slightly, but I came up with an answer.

"Well, do you tell Billy everything?" He shook his head. "Well, that's probably part of it. Also, if only six people in a tightly knit group knew about a secret, wouldn't you be thrilled to have someone outside of the circle who knew the secret, who you could talk to." Jake's expression softened slightly.

"I suppose that that makes sense. I didn't really think of it from that standpoint." I smiled.

"Of course you didn't. I'm the smart one here, remember?" I said, teasing and leaning in for another kiss. And with that, the discussion was over. Jake had taken it better than I had expected. We spent the rest of the night just watching TV and snuggling, and then cooking dinner when Charlie realized I was over here. Then he and Billy watched the game while me and Jake cooked, as usual.

Even though Jake had taken me being friends with the Cullens pretty well, it didn't stop him from holding me to his chest, kissing the top of my head, and whispering,

"Be careful Bells. I know you want to be friends and help them, but you also have to be safe, okay?" I looked up at him after he said that.

"I know Jake. I promise, I'll be extra careful. Thank you for understanding it." He smiled.

"Well I may not be thrilled about it, but if it makes you happy…then I guess it makes me happy." I smiled and burrowed deeper into the hug we were already in.

"Because you love me." I said smiling up at him.

"Because I love you," he said, smiling down at me.

"I love you Jake."

"Love you too Bells. Always have. Always will." I smiled, and leaned up for another kiss. Then of course, Charlie announced he was hungry, and we quickly brought the food in and had dinner together. As we left, Jake and I exchanged our normal parting kiss, and then Charlie and I left to go back home. When I got home, I finished what homework I had, showered, and went to bed, thinking about my Jacob, and enjoying the sweet dreams that thinking about him brought me.


	19. Shopping With Alice

Ahhh!!! I love my reviewers oh so much!! I'm writing this early, and posting it early since I might be busy later tonight… (Don't know if you all know about it, but there's going to be a really pretty meteor shower tonight, and I am psyched to see it!).

The next few days at school were interesting. I had left Jess, Mike, and Angela to sit with the Cullens, and they didn't really notice or hold a grudge against me for it, thankfully. Alice was ecstatic that I was doing what she had asked of me. She desperately wanted to go shopping for Halloween costume things.

"Bella! I know the store where you can get the cutest striped top, and a vest, and a belt, and a skirt, and boots, and a fake sword, and hat, and-" At this point Edward cut her off.

"We get the picture Alice," he said rolling his eyes, and smiling at me. I just laughed gently.

"What's so funny?" She pouted like a little kid.

"Your reactions just make me laugh Alice, that's all." She thought about that for a second.

"I don't know if that's a compliment or not," she said, tapping her chin with her finger absent-mindedly. I laughed

"It's just you. There's no hidden compliment or insult." She frowned.

"Well that's boring." Jasper, Edward and I all burst into laughter at her comment. She was so ridiculous at times.

"Okay, well since you want to get our costumes done with…do you want to get it taken care of this Saturday? Because I usually hang out with Jake, but I suppose he could hang out with his friends." As I said it, a little bit of sadness came. I wouldn't get to spend time with my other friends; Quil and Embry. I really liked hanging out with all of them and Jake because it was an extension of my life outside of Forks. But as I mentioned Jake, the entire table got a bit tense. Alice struggled to relieve the tension.

"Saturday's great! We'll go to Port Angeles, and we'll get the stuff there." I smiled, and the tension lifted slightly. They may have liked my company, but they still didn't like the werewolves.

I told Jake about hanging out with Alice on Saturday in Port Angeles, and he seemed a tad disappointed, but he resolved to hang out with Quil and Embry.

"At least we'll see each other on Sunday." He amended. I snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Of course. And you're probably missing your friends," I teased. "I keep stealing all of your time away." He looked down at me with his soft dark eyes.

"So? I love you taking all of my time, since it's when I'm overwhelmingly happy." He nuzzled the top of my head, and I felt his breath on my hair as he spoke the next words. "Besides, who wouldn't want to spend so much time with the one they love?" I tilted my head back and reached up for a kiss, which he gave to me freely.

The rest of the week flew by, until Friday came, where I hung out with Jake, until that moment that we both detested; where I had to go back to Forks. As I was leaving, Jake suddenly took my hand, and whirled me back to him. He kissed me roughly, and I indulged him. When the intense kiss ended, I was looking up at him in a bit of surprise.

"What was that about? I liked it but it was a bit…strong?" He smirked.

"Just wanted to kiss you goodbye, baby. Remember, I love you. Be safe tomorrow." I reached up on my tip toes and entwined my fingers in his hair.

"I love you too. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He walked me to my truck, his hand in mine, and my head against his shoulder. As I got in, I rolled down the window, and kissed him lightly through the window before going. He waved at me as I left and I waved in return. I couldn't wait for Sunday.

When I was awoken in my room in Saturday morning, I faced an extremely perky, extremely hyper Alice. In my groggy state, I was very articulate.

"What are you doing in my room?" she spun around excitedly.

"I'm here to go shopping, silly! I figured you'd be up already!" I groaned and fell back on my bed and threw the covers over my head. I heard her tsk at me. Then suddenly, the covers had disappeared. I looked around confused and saw her holding them. "Don't make me make you get up," Alice said sweetly, with a hint of a threat. I groaned and got clothes and changed in the bathroom. I came back to see her lightly sitting on my bed.

"How did you get in?" I asked suspiciously. She looked at her nails.

"I introduced myself to Charlie and he let me in." I rolled my eyes. For sheriff of the town, Charlie was a little overly trusting.

"Come on then, let's go shopping." She got up and clapped her hands excitedly. We left the house, I said goodbye to Charlie, and off we went. We went in her car, which was a bright yellow Porsche. She began speeding out of the driveway, and before long, we were on the highway towards Port Angeles.

"I'm so glad that we're doing this Bella," she said, keeping her eyes on the road. "I don't get to hang out with a lot of people, like a normal girl at our school."

"I can imagine, it seems like it'd be a bit hard, because you could never be sure if they'd keep your secret." She nodded.

"It's extremely hard. Plus, so many people at our school are so…" she wrinkled her nose. "Annoying!" I laughed.

"You've got that right." I was shocked at the speedometer when I glanced over at it. "Um Alice, you do realize that we're going at like, one hundred miles an hour?" She glanced at it.

"Yeah, what's the point of having a fast car if you're not going to use it to it's full capability? Besides, I think I have plenty of driving experience." I rolled my eyes at that one. Being a vampire, I was sure that she did know how to drive. Before long, we had arrived at the Port Angeles mall. We went to several malls where she ordered me to try on clothes completely unrelated to Halloween, and because I was me, I did. Some of them looked really nice, but I only bought one or two tops. Finally, we reached the store that she had been talking about. She quickly found a mystical gown that would do perfectly to show off her assets, and look the part of the bride of Frankenstein. I found a red and white striped long sleeved shirt that I would likely tear apart with scissors later, along with a long black skirt that I would also tear apart with scissors. I found plain black ballet flats which would have to do, since I couldn't find boots. Then I got the two accessories I needed for my costume, a brown leather belt, and a captain's hat. I rushed to the register, where Alice was waiting, and purchased my goods.

"Thanks for showing me that store Alice! Now I can actually look like a pirate somewhat." She hugged me. I hugged back, and as we walked out of the store, I bumped headfirst into a very tall person and dropped my bag. "I'm so sorry!" I gushed, as I tried picking up my stuff. They knelt down and started to help me.

"It's no problem," said a very familiar voice. I looked up to see Jake's face set in a smirk, even with the close proximity of a vampire.

"Jake!" I said, rushing forward to his arms, where he caught me. "What are you doing here though?" I looked up at him "Jake, are you following me?" He shook his head, and laughed.

"No, Quil and Embry wanted to come to the mall today." He shrugged. "I had nothing to do with it, but I'm glad." I smiled up at him, and waved to Quil and Embry who were behind him, their faces set in a grim line with the vampire that was behind me. Behind the anger for her, I saw genuine worry for me in their eyes. Alice picked up on the growing tense atmosphere.

"Come on Bella! We have to go to that store!" she tugged my arm, and Jake frowned. I smiled up at him

"I'll see you later babe. Don't worry, we'll see each other tomorrow." He reluctantly let go, and waved to me as Alice and I went in the opposite direction. We didn't say anything about what had just occurred, and before long, we went home. I got back to Charlie's and I gave her a hug.

"Thanks Alice, I really appreciate having someone to shop with, even if it's not my absolute favorite activity." She broke out in a huge smile.

"Me too! We'll have to go shopping sometime soon! And we'll have a blast at the Halloween dance…maybe Jake can hang out with all of us?" she asked gingerly. I thought about if for a moment

"I would love it if that could happen. We'll have to see though, you know how werewolves and vampires can get," I said. She nodded in understanding. I got out of the car, and took my bags. "See you later Alice! Thanks! She nodded and backed out of the driveway. I went upstairs and put my clothes away, while I thought about what Alice had said. It would be really nice if Jake could hang out with the Cullens without conflict occurring. It would be phenomenal, in fact.

Sunday I went bright and early to Jake's, while Billy and Charlie went fishing. He greeted me with a sleepy smile and picked me up. I rolled my eyes.

"Is this going to become tradition?" I said. He smirked

"I think it should," he said, kissing me delicately. "I like having you here in my arms." I smiled, and kissed him back.

"Being in your arms is my favorite place to be." He smiled at that. We spent the day talking, and cooking breakfast and lunch, waiting for Charlie and Billy to return so we could cook supper. We even indulged in our childish side and had a pillow fight. I found it funny how Jake was my best friend, my boyfriend, and the person I was so happy with, all at once.

The time seemed to go so quickly when I was with Jake though. It seemed like only minutes before Charlie and Billy came back, ready to watch the game and have us make dinner. It didn't take too long to make dinner, but we were always joking around with one another while we made it. As Charlie and I left that night, I was jubilant. I had had a really good weekend filled with spending time with a friend and hanging out with my boyfriend. It would be even better if they got along. But someday, I resolved to myself, someday they might get along.


	20. This is Halloween

1- I love you all. The reviews make me smile so much that I actually jump up and down with happiness sometimes. Yes I know, I'm silly. That's just meee! 2-Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

The rest of the time leading up to the Halloween dance went by faster and faster. I spent every lunch at the Cullen table, and bit by bit, everyone began opening up to me a bit more. I found out that Rosalie was actually a very skilled mechanic, and that Emmett loved playing baseball. Alice obviously was a shopaholic, and Jasper…well Jasper was hard to get to talk, let alone open up. But I noticed that in the time that I was talking to them, they seemed to smile more, and to let their guard down. They seemed even…well, human.

And since I was getting to know the entire Cullen family more, I was also getting to see a different side of Edward as well. The obnoxious ways faded slightly, although he was definitely cocky at times. He was concise in whatever he did though, and he had a great deal of confidence in what he did, although when he was wrong, it was funny to watch him be embarrassed.

Jake and I also got closer as well. He confided in me about the inner workings of his friends, and told me the story of why his mother was missing. After hearing the heartbreaking story of her car crash, I instantly crushed him to me. He tried to be strong and shrug it off, but I could see the pain that was still deep within his eyes. I wished I could have solved all his pain; as if I could absorb it somehow, but that was impossible. He was so strong though, and he was still able to keep a cheerful disposition everyday. I think the fact that he was able to get through it just made me admire him more than ever. Needless to say, I fell deeper in love with him each time I saw him. He always made my day brighter, and warmed my heart, no matter what my day had been like. He was the endless sun to the constant rain of Forks.

He apparently had a superb costume for the Halloween dance, although like Edward, he refused to tell me what it was. I pouted to try and get him to tell me, but to no avail. When he wanted to, he could lock his words up tight. The Halloween dance itself was on the exact night of Halloween, so I didn't have to worry about going trick or treating…since I was so short, I probably could have passed as a ten year old. The seventeen year old body might have been more difficult to pull off though. Alice had insisted on coming over to my house and getting ready with me, so we were able to have our 'girl time'. She helped me shred my outfit perfectly, and decided to curl my hair and give it volume. As she finished, she inspected her work.

"Perfect!" she declared, touching a finger to her cheek. "Can I add a bit of make-up?" she asked with pitiful eyes. I rolled my eyes, and put my pirate hat on.

"I suppose." She clapped her hands excitedly

"You'll look gorgeous!" she exclaimed. I shrunk down in my seat slightly, and shut my eyes for her to apply eyeliner and shadow.

"I feel like a Barbie doll." I said. She giggled. After she had finally finished, I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror to find a more edgy Bella Swan. She had put on black liner, and used a bronze shadow that was perfectly blended to have a range of color from the edge of the eyelashes to the top of the eyelid. There was mascara that made my eyelashes extraordinarily long, and I had a deep red lipstick on as well. I looked a tad more fierce.

"What do you think?" she asked, her hands behind her back.

"I think that I look like Captain Swan." She smirked.

"That ye do, matey!" I raised an eyebrow at her. She giggled. "Wait until you see my costume! Rose is helping Jazz with his make-up to look more like Frankenstein's monster." She quickly changed into her dress, and applied a slightly green tinted makeup to achieve the look of the Bride of Frankenstein. She was able to put her wig on so it looked like it was her actual hair, although it was impossible. Her make-up was more haunting than mine; she rimmed both sides of her eyes with thick lines of eyeliner, and added dark eye shadow to enhance her look. She had a slightly green lipstick that she added, and by the time she was finished, she looked mystical, beautiful, and of course, flawless. "What do you think?" she asked, spinning around so I could see the entire costume.

"I think it's gorgeous," I said, "and Jazz is going to have a hard time not stealing you away from the general population of Forks." She frowned

"He better not take me away, I worked hard on this costume!" I laughed, and went with her to the school. Jake was apparently getting a ride to the school for the dance, because he was going to find me there. He was being so dang mysterious with his costume, but I figured it was silly boy stuff.

When Alice and I arrived in the Gym, we quickly caught sight of the other Cullens. Rosalie was a gorgeous Ann Darrow, with a tight red dress accentuating every curve that she possessed, and Emmett by her side dressed as King Kong. Jazz saw Alice and rushed forward to her. His costume was perfect to detail as well; he and Alice looked like a match made by Dr. Frankenstein himself. Then my eyes came to Edward. I tried to stifle a laugh. He was dressed as Count Dracula. He had a Victorian white ruffled shirt with black pants and boots under them with a black cape rimmed with red on the inside. He had left his hair as it was, choosing its normal messy style rather than the slicked back idea of Count Dracula, and he had realistic looking fangs poking from his mouth. I walked over to him.

"This is your costume?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are those real?" he laughed

"Of course they're not my real ones. The only way you'd see those ones are if you were in danger of turning into a vampire, or if I wanted a snack. And you do look delicious," he said, his eyes raking up and down my body. I wanted to smack him. His attitude had gotten generally better, but I had a feeling that a little one on one time with Emmett had probably brought it down a notch.

"Well, it's a good thing that you're not hungry." I said coldly, crossing my arms. Suddenly, I heard a howl from the back of the Gym. I turned around, confused. Then what I saw next made me laugh. Jake was dressed as a werewolf. Talk about ironic. He had added fake hair to his arms, along with his feet and face. He had yellow contacts and odd ears poking out of his suddenly short hair. I rushed over to him. I yanked on his hair; it didn't budge, which meant it wasn't a wig.

"What happened to your hair??" I asked, worriedly. Had something happened? He laughed.

"I was just getting in character, Bells. It was getting in the way, so I had Billy give me a trim. What do you think though?" he said, turning around and sending me a wink. I smiled coyly.

"I love it. Talk about cliché though," I teased. "You and Edward both." His eyes narrowed for a second.

"Wait, what's Cullen wearing?" His eyes sought Edward and he finally saw him in his Dracula outfit. He burst into laughter and walked over. I suddenly had wide eyes, and rushed to his side, and he wrapped his arm around my waist. The Cullens suddenly had a cloud of a disappointment upon their faces.

"Hello Jacob," Alice said timidly. Jasper and Emmett suddenly had very protective stances, standing slightly in front of their partners, their hands curled in fists. Rosalie didn't look particularly defensive, but she had a look of distaste on her face. Edward's expression was the most interesting though. He had a calm collected look. Jake nodded at Alice.

"Alice I presume?" he asked. "I've heard a lot about you from Bella." She nodded. He turned to Edward. "Cullen." Edward stiffened slightly. "Can I talk to you for a second?" Edward nodded tightly, and they began to walk off. As I tried to follow, Jake turned around. "Don't worry Bells; I just wanted to talk to him about something real quick." I looked at him. He wasn't lying, but there was something he wasn't telling me. He sighed. "I promise, I'll be back in 10 minutes okay?" I nodded, and he kissed my forehead. "By the way," he whispered in my ear. "You look unbelievably stunning." I smiled and kissed him.

"Be nice." I warned, and then let him go to talk to Edward. Alice looked at me with a look of confusion.

"What was that all about?" she asked. I shrugged. I had no clue. A few minutes later, they came back, not a hair out of place. I looked up at Jake though, and took his arm.

"Come on," I said, tugging on him to a more private place. I noticed that Edward had a slightly more upset expression. Jake didn't argue and soon we were outside of the Gym. "What did you say to him?" I asked, not feeling like beating around the bush.

"I just wanted to warn him about some things we've been noticing around the reservation," Jake said, a look of worry coming over his face. "We smell the tracks of vampires, who aren't the Cullens. And whoever they are, they're killing people of neighboring towns left and right. I wanted to talk about him watching over you during the day." He ended his explanation a little shortly, as if there was something else to be said.

"That's it?" I asked, a hand on my hip. Jake sighed.

"No. I also told him while he was watching over you, to not get…too close." He said crossing his arms. "I don't trust him Bells." Now it was my turn to sigh.

"Jake, he is completely trustworthy. He can be arrogant at times, but he really is a good guy." Jake looked unconvinced. "Just trust me on this okay? He's not going to do anything. Now let's enjoy the dance?" Jake took my hand and looked down at me.

"Sorry Bells. I just can't take any chances with you. I love you too much to let you get hurt." I smiled up at him.

"I know babe. That's part of why I love you so much. But you have to remember, I'm not a little girl; I can take care of myself." He held me to his chest.

"I know," he said. "But you're my Bells, and I don't want anything to hurt you ever. I've got something to be protective about you know; not every guy can have such an amazing girlfriend." I reached up and kissed him.

"Thank you. I think I've got a pretty amazing boyfriend myself."

"Even if he's a werewolf?"

"Even if he's a werewolf." He smiled yet again, sending me a burst of his sunshine.

"C'mon Bells, let's dance." And dance we did. We danced from one side of the floor to the other. For some reason though, I didn't see Edward for the rest of the night. When I asked Alice where he had gone, she didn't know, and Jake and I went to whirling around the dance floor soon after that. When the night finally came to a close, I was happy, exhausted, and pretty sure that I had never had such a fun Halloween. So far, it seemed that a truce between vampires and werewolves could work, if they could tolerate each other like they had tonight.


	21. Time Flies When You're Having Fun

LalalalalaLOVE the reviews I get! They make me smile so much! I brag to my friends about my amazing reviewers. I'm in a very good mood, so this chapter may be a tad fluffy. But then again, you all should know how much I love my fluff. ;]

The next day was the first of November, and it was luckily a weekend. Thank goodness. I had plans to spend the entire day with Jake and his friends at a bonfire for the beginning of the month. It was tradition to celebrate the tribe's long past. I washed the remnants of the previous night's make-up off, not being able to get all of the gold powder and black mascara off. I brushed my hair and then looked in my closet for something that'd be warm for me, but pretty for Jake. I settled on a pair of dark jeans and a thin v-neck violet sweater that would give me some warmth, but didn't completely hide me. I added a pair of black ballet flats, and went to my truck.

Charlie was already out fishing with Billy for the bonfire, but had plans later tonight to investigate some small crimes that had been occurring around our area of the state. As I was in the truck, I grew slightly irritated at every red light that deterred me from losing any time with my Jacob. I got there soon enough though, so that was good at least. As I arrived in the driveway, the house door was already being opened by Jake, and by the time I had unbuckled my seatbelt, he had opened my door for me, and scooped me up in his arms. He cradled me to his chest.

"Hey baby," he said softly, his eyes warm and affectionate. I melted in his arms and snuggled up next to him and laid my head on his shoulder.

"Hey sweetie. Why so eager to see me hon? You just saw me last night." He nuzzled his face in my hair.

"I practically get to spend the entire day with you. What's not to be eager about? By the way, you look pretty. I like that color on you." I smiled

"Thank you babe." I reached up for a kiss, and he gave it to me, and after, he carried me inside of his house. "You really don't have to carry me everywhere, you know," I teased "I'm a big girl you know." He shook his head.

"How many times do I have to explain this to you? I love having you in my arms." He sighed, as if he had just had to explain quantum physics to me.

"You're silly."

"So are you." I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed. "The bonfire starts at 6:30, so do you want to leave around 6?" I nodded.

"So what are we going to do for, say 8 hours?" He furrowed his brow.

"Not quite sure. Any ideas?" I smiled.

"Shall we…go to the movies? And maybe get lunch and go bowling with your friends?" He smiled.

"Sounds good. Just got some money for chopping firewood for the bonfire, so I can pay." I looked at him.

"You are not paying for me. I can pay for myself." He shook his head.

"Oh no you don't, Miss Swan. You are my girlfriend. I am allowed." I looked up at him.

"I am allowed to pay for myself." He smiled and leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"My town, my rules." I shivered a bit from the husky sound of his voice.

"Fine, fine," I said, trying to rush away the blush that had erupted on my face, and trying not to see the smirk on his face. We looked up movie times in the paper, and rushed to the first showing of a new horror movie that had come out. Being the wimp I was, I jumped at any dead person that leaped up, and squirmed at any murder that occurred. Jake had his arm around me, and squeezed my shoulder gently whenever I jumped. I leaned my head on his shoulder and turned my head to his chest whenever something gruesome came on the screen. Sometimes it was better not to see those kinds of things, even if they were computer animated or whatnot.

We went to a little quiet restaurant about a mile away from the movie theater. Upon walking in, the server looked Jake up and down with a mischievous smile.

"Why hello there," she said, her eyes focused on Jake. "Table for two?" He nodded, and put his arm around my waist. "Follow me," she said, throwing in a wink at the end. I glared at her, but Jake just gently kissed my forehead. She pouted slightly, but got us to our table. "Feel free to call me if there's anything you need," she purred. "My name's Abby." She left, with an obvious exaggerated sway of her hips. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Jeez. Some girls just don't know when to quit. Can't she see I've already got a perfect girl?" I smiled up at him, and held his hand. He smiled back at me. We looked at our menus, and tried to find something for each of us. When our server arrived, thankfully a different, quieter girl that was not Abby, we ordered for ourselves. I ordered lemon chicken with a side of fries, and Jake got a hamburger with fries. We each got sodas along with it, and talked from across the table until our food came. We played tic-tac-toe on the napkins, and then had thumb wars. We were so silly at times, but I loved how we were together. I couldn't really imagine it any other way.

We ate our food; and it was delicious. As we walked out of the restaurant after paying, we went back to Jake's house and called Quil and Embry. By this time, it was around 2, so I went to their houses to pick them up so we could go bowling in Port Angeles. It was ridiculous. They insisted on not using bumpers, so I repeatedly got gutter balls, while because they were werewolves and had increased coordination, they kept getting strikes and pairs. I got the lowest score of all. Quil and Embry found this hilarious, while I just rolled my eyes. The most competitive in the group was Quil and Jake though. Embry and I found it hysterical when they finally tied at the end of the game.

We played two more games after that, and as soon as we had finished, it was around 6. After getting mixed up directions, we eventually arrived at the bonfire, where some of the tribe was already there. There was Paul, along with a lot more teenage boys, Billy, other old men, and some teenage girls.

Jake held my hand as we walked toward the fire circle, while Quil and Embry raced ahead. I rolled my eyes as they got there at the same time and then argued as to who had arrived first. Jake and I sat down on a bench near the fire, and to my left was a young looking boy who was much taller than me. I always felt short in this town.

"Hi, I'm Seth Clearwater," he said eagerly, offering me his hand to shake. I took it.

"Hi Seth, I'm Bella Swan." I said a little awkwardly

"Oh I know," he said, "everyone knows about you! Jake talks about you all the-" Jake cut him off by clapping a hand over his mouth.

"That's enough little man. Why don't you find some more people to meet Bells?" Seth nodded.

"I'll get Leah first." Seth went off and Jake groaned.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. "Do you not like her or something?" He looked up to the sky.

"It's not that I don't like her, it's just that she doesn't exactly have the most stellar personality." Before I could ask what he meant, Seth had returned, with a girl with waist length black hair. She was shorter than him, but taller than me, with an intimidating presence. She had sharp angles in her face, and her eyes but she was still very pretty.

"Hello, Bella." She said, cautiously, not giving away any emotion in her words.

"Hi Leah." I said waving slightly. I didn't know how to react to this odd girl. She sat where Seth had been, and he took his place besides her.

"I'm Seth's sister, and Jake's friend. We've heard a lot about you." She said, a gentle smile starting to appear on her face.

"I'm sorry that I haven't heard much about you," I said sincerely. She laughed.

"Oh it's fine. Me and Jake aren't the closest, so I wouldn't expect you to really know who I am. If you ever want to hang out with a friend besides Jake and his two stooges though, call Seth and me to come over." She smiled, "We'll have fun, plus my little brother here is always pestering Jake to hang out." Seth looked up indignantly."I don't pester him, do I Jake?" Jake laughed.

"Nah Seth, you're just eager to hang out. We'll all hang out sometime when Bella's here, okay?" Seth's face lit up.

"Okay!" Leah smiled. Just then, the fire grew suddenly, as one of the older boys threw some small driftwood pieces covered in sea salt to add different colors to the flames. It went up high, and when it came back down to it's normal height, Billy spoke.

"I am so glad to see so many familiar faces here at the first November bonfire." He smiled. "Is everyone comfortable?" there were several murmured 'yes's and he spoke again. "Then the stories of the Quileute tribe shall begin," he said, his voice taking on a majestic tone before he started to tell the tales of the tribe. I leaned my head on Jake's shoulder, and prepared myself to hear a range of magical stories. He leaned his head on top of mine, and put his arm around my waist, and pulling me closer to him.


	22. Campfire Stories

Reviews make me sooo happy! I love going to my inbox and seeing Review Alerts! Gah, I want to put exclamation points at the end of each sentence for my author's note, but I try not to. Love, love, love you ALL, and I love those reviews that you guys take the time to write! Thank you so much, now enjoy the story!

Billy leaned back, and took a good look at all of us before he began to tell the stories.

"The tales I am about to tell you all are not as much legend as they seem," he warned us. "They contain more facts than fiction. These are not simply folklore told to entertain our tribe. This is our history, as unbelievable as it may seem. Are you ready to face the truth?" He asked loudly, looking directly at me.

"Yes!" the tribe chorused.

"I said, are you ready to hear the truth?" he boomed, looking at everyone yet again. The response was more enthusiastic this time.

"Yes!" The tribe said, breaking off into howls at the end.

"Then," Billy started, "Let the first story be told." He went off into the tribe's long history, beginning with the tale of how the first werewolf came to be. I was shocked at the tribe's bloody beginning, and how at first, the transformation had not only frightened most, but it also wasn't believed at first. As the stories went on, I noticed avid interest around the fire circle. Leah and Seth were bending forward, to better hear Billy, and Jake even had slowed stroking my hair to concentrate on the stories. Then, Billy came to one of the biggest subjects of interest to me. Imprinting. As soon as he said the word, I noticed Jake wince slightly and look at me worriedly.

"An imprint," Billy said softly, "Is easily one of the most blessed parts of being a werewolf. To find your true love, and be with them no matter what. However," he said looking directly at Leah, who was no longer looking at Billy, but rather at the ground, a tear falling from her eye and rolling down her cheek. "An imprint can also be one of the most horrid things anyone can go through if they are already involved with someone." Jake tightened his grip on my waist. "Most werewolves go through with an imprint when they turn 16, and they then discover their true love. Upon seeing each other, the bond is instantly formed, and there is very rarely any break in it. It's inescapable in a sense. It is one of the things that most werewolves go through, and it is a wonder."

Leah looked up at this, and Billy gave her a sympathetic look, and she smiled weakly. She looked across the group to one guy with another girl bitterly. The guy didn't even look at her, he just stared straight at Billy, and Leah looked back to the ground. I'd have to ask Jake about that later, since I had no clue what was going on. Suddenly, Billy clapped his hands. "That concludes our story telling for tonight. Now, we must have the ceremonial change." I looked up at Jake inquisitively. What the Sam heck was Billy talking about? Jake kissed my forehead.

"I'll be back soon baby. You'll see what's going on." He whispered. He got up, along with over twelve other teenagers, including Seth, Leah, Quil, and Embry. I shivered in the night air. Without Jake there next to me, it was much cooler than I was used to. The night's temperature had gone down drastically, without me noticing it.

Suddenly, I heard one single howl. It was then joined with a chorus of other howls, each distinctive and a different note than the original. The howls began getting louder, until finally there was a line of wolves, of all different colors facing the fire circle. One was the grayish wolf that had attacked Jake; Paul, I think. One was small and sandy colored, standing next to a more feminine looking gray wolf. There was a range of colors of fur, from pure white to deep brown, and black and red and any combination. Then there was Jake, standing directly to the right of a black wolf, who was enormous, but not as big as Jake.

"Our newest generation of the tribe," Billy announced proudly. The wolves stood proud and strong, looking at all of us. I rose along with the rest of the tribe, and I then watched them rush to whatever wolf that was dear to them. I obviously went to Jake, with Billy. Jake looked at me; his eyes still the same even in this wolf body. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. He nuzzled his head into my hair. Even when he was a different species, we still acted the same way. Billy smiled at us, but didn't say a word.

Jake whined, and looked at Billy.

"What?" Billy asked, crossing his arms. Jake whined in a series of tones. "We're not done yet; you'll just have to wait to transform again." Jake whimpered and Billy sighed. "You are ridiculous. Fine. Go transform back into human. See if anyone notices. Not like I'll get in trouble or anything." Jake had a coughing bark, which I assumed was a laugh, and then went into the forest. He returned as a human, and promptly picked me up. I was thankfully warm again, and of course, happy that my sunshine had returned.

"Thanks Dad." He said, looking directly at me, instead of creating eye contact with Billy like he most likely should have.

"Yeah yeah," Billy grumbled, and then muttered something as he went off to go talk to another family.

"So," Jake started to say, "You're not totally turned off by this whole 'I can turn into a wolf at any time' thing? I gotta say, most girls would totally flip out." I laughed and kissed him.

"Of course not." I said confidently. "I mean, most girls always want a dog or a boyfriend to keep them company when they're alone. I'm lucky enough to have both!" He threw his head back and laughed.

"You are silly." he said nuzzling my neck, and holding me closer to his body. I wrapped my arms around his neck. We just cuddled then, him holding me, the rest of the tribe closer to the fire, and a bit further away from us. It wasn't exactly the epitome of privacy, but it was private enough.

The rest of the night flew by, and before I knew it, I was giving Billy and Jake a lift back to their house. Billy went inside first, and left me and Jake outside, just talking next to truck.

"So what did you think? Am I a bonafide freak?" Jake asked me, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. I caught his hand, and held it in my hand.

"Not at all." I reached up on my tiptoes to get a kiss.

"That's good to hear," he murmured, before bending down and kissing me on the lips, his hands wrapping around my waist, and my hands entwining themselves around his neck. When the kiss ended, I smiled, happy to be able to have spent such an extraordinarily long amount of time with him today.

"We have got to do this more often." I said, leaning my head on his chest.

"What part of it?" he said, stroking my hair, and holding my hand. "The kissing or the spending the entire day together? Personally, I think both should be incorporated into daily life more often." I laughed and looked up to him.

"Both sounds good to me." I said. He chuckled.

"Me too." He kissed me on the forehead, and sighed.

"What is it?" I asked

"Nothing. You've just got to go home or Charlie will probably get a bit annoyed." I frowned. Jake had a point. He saw my pout and smiled. "It's okay hon. We can hang out tomorrow. Like always, okay?" I looked up to him and smiled.

"Alright. I love you babe." I said, giving him a hug with all of my strength. He embraced me tightly.

"Love you too Bells." He gave a short kiss, and I got into my truck and back on the way to Charlie's. He was waiting on the couch, and after I relayed how much fun I had had, I said goodnight and got ready for bed. I took a shower and quickly fell asleep, tired from the long night outside, but blissful from the fun I had had.


	23. Super Wolf!

Ohmigoodness! I love all my amazing reviewers! Love, love, love, LOVE you guys so much! Here's the newest chapter, a bit fluffy, which you guys should know, is part of my favorite part of fanfiction.

I spent the next day with Sunday, but I didn't actually get around to going to his house until about two in the afternoon. I was wiped out from the previous night at the bonfire, and I needed to catch up on some sleep. As it was, I was still ridiculously tired. To my surprise, when I arrived, Jake was apparently still sleeping.

"Sorry Bella," Billy said. "He's really tired from last night too. You can wait inside though." I yawned, and stretched my arms.

"Sounds good to me." I said, and Billy smiled.

"Maybe you might want to take a nap until he wakes up? We do have a guest room you know." I considered this lightly. I was still somewhat tired. A little nap wouldn't hurt me.

"All right," I said. "Lead the way." Billy brought me to the guest room and I thanked him for his hospitality, and I quickly curled up on the bed. Before I knew it, I was asleep. However, I was slightly surprised to wake up as Jake was putting his arms around me. He noticed that he had woken me up.

"Sorry Bells," he said, nuzzling my neck. "Didn't mean to wake you up baby." I smiled and turned around so I was facing him.

"No problem sweetie. So you're finally up?" He nodded. I smiled. "Well that's good at least. What time is it?" He turned to see the time on an alarm clock behind him.

"It's…five?" He squinted. "Five oh seven to be exact." I smiled as I burrowed into his chest slightly.

"Does Billy know you're up?" He shook his head.

"There was a note on the living room table. Apparently he went out to the grocery store to get some food about a half hour ago. He should be back soon." I stayed snuggled in Jake's arms, but then I sighed.

"We should probably get up then. Your dad would flip if he saw us in here together. Even if you are just cuddling with me." He sighed.

"You're probably right." He reluctantly got up, and I did too. Although, as soon as I tried to get up, he picked me up in his arms, and carried me to the living room. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Will I ever be allowed to walk?" He pretended to think about this.

"Hmm…while you're here? Not very likely." I smiled at him and reached up for a kiss.

"You, my dear, are quite ridiculous." He bent his head down to reach me in the kiss, and I could feel his smile when his lips finally touched mine.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black." He murmured. I laughed, and so did he.

"Can you seriously put me down for now though? I love being in your arms, but I'm sure we can manage that with me sitting next to you on the couch while we watch TV. Plus, I don't want you wearing yourself out." I touched his face gingerly. I was worried that he was going to tire himself out by carrying me all the time. He rolled his eyes though, in typical Jake fashion.

"Please Bells, you weigh practically nothing. Plus, I do have werewolf super strength." He looked at me with a smirk.

"Sure, sure, Super Wolf or whatever." His smirk grew wider, if that was possible. "Can we watch TV?" I said, giving him the puppy dog eyes. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine! I like that nickname though," he said, putting me down on the couch, and then sitting next to me, and putting his arm around me.

"What? Super Wolf?" He nodded. I smiled. "You're so silly." I stuck my tongue out at him, and he stuck his tongue out at me as well. He then poked my nose.

"Silly Bells." I just smiled, and curled up next to him. My head was on his chest, and his arm was around me, and I was undoubtedly comfortable. He took the remote from one of the couch cushions, and began flipping through channels, not really focusing on anything in particular. Suddenly the front door opened.

"Hey Jake! Hey Bells! You guys finally got up, eh?" Charlie walked through the front door, pushing Billy through the door.

"Dad?" I said somewhat confused. How did he know that I'd been over here? Well, it wasn't like I went anywhere else, but still.

"Yes," Charlie said, "it's me. Billy called to get a ride to the grocery store so we could have dinner over here. He told me how you guys were exhausted from the bonfire last night too." He shook his head. "Bells, you should have just slept as late as you wanted to if that was the case." I shook my head and got up from my place next to Jake. Jake got up behind me, and walked with me to Charlie, holding my hand the entire way.

"Dad, I'm fine. Now do you need help bringing in the stuff from the market?" he nodded.

"Could you get it Bells?" I smiled, already on my way out to get the stuff, Jake right behind me.

"Sure thing Dad!" Me and Jake went out to go and get the groceries. I began to trip as I went down the steps, and Jake sighed, and scooped me up into his arms. "This isn't necessary," I said as he brought me to the cruiser. He ignored me. He set me down in behind the trunk, and quickly sorted the bags, and took the heaviest ones, leaving me two of the lightest ones. I rolled my eyes and walked back with him. "I can lift more weight, you know." I said, looking straight up at him. He looked down at me and smiled.

"I know you can, but I'm being a gentleman and carrying most of the weight for you. So be happy." I smiled and bumped into him playfully. He bumped back into me, more gently than I did though. We got to the door, and he held the door open for me. I giggled and went in.

Charlie and Billy had already taken their usual spots on the couch, and as Jake and I put things away in the fridge, we joked around as we normally did. He sang a karaoke version of 'Hungry Like the Wolf' to the milk carton, and I was nearly rolling on the ground in laughter. So of course, to top him, I had to turn on the radio, and I then did an impromptu karaoke and dance to CrushCrushCrush by Paramore. We were total and utter dorks. Then we lapsed into our normal routine of making dinner, and when we finished, we all sat around the dinner table, just enjoying the company.

When I got ready to leave that night, I hugged and kissed my amazing Jake before I left, and I promised to see him tomorrow. We parted with him planting a gentle kiss on my forehead, before waving me off. I couldn't sleep very well, what with the extra sleep I had gotten today, but I just went through memories of the day, smiling at each one. My dreams were sweet and filled with smiles and laughter.

Monday was a long day. Lunch at the Cullen table was slightly awkward, after the conversation Jake had had with Edward on Halloween. I didn't know how to bring it up with them, so I simply didn't. Alice filled the conversation with her normal chatter, and I just shook my head and laughed silently to myself. Within a few months of moving into Forks, I had gone into a routine that was comfortable, happy, and familiar. And I loved it.

Before lunch was half over though, Edward got up.

"Bella, can I talk to you?" he asked, warily, his eyes sweeping the entire cafeteria.

"Sure." I said, still sitting down. "What's up?" He rolled his eyes.

"Can I talk to you alone?" He clarified. I got up, and looked at Alice worriedly. She shot me a reassuring smile. Edward wove through a number of corridors throughout the school, until we finally reached the parking lot, and inevitably, his car. We got in, before he could make his announcement, whatever it was.

"So? You wanted to talk?" I asked, not quite sure how to start the conversation. He nodded.

"Yes. Do you know why Jake talked to me on Friday night?" I shook my head.

"Not really…he didn't explain in full detail." I said sheepishly. Edward hit his head with his palm. "He did say that you'd be spending…more time around me and watching over me?" I wasn't quite sure if I was right. Edward nodded though.

"Yes. Did he mention that you're in danger of getting attacked by vampires?" I paled. He definitely hadn't said that. Edward burst out laughing. "I'm joking; you're not on any vampire hit list." My breathing slowed down a bit. "But you are in danger though, as is most of the town."

"What's going on?" I asked, he sighed and looked out the window, to figure out his response before he answered me.

"They're not like my kind; the vegetarian vampires I mean. They go solely after human blood, and they don't care what human it is. And since you're under already close surveillance of vampires and werewolves, you would be a definite target."

"Why?" I asked, confused. "Why on Earth would I be a target for something like that?" Edward sighed, as if he was explaining something very complex to a two year old.

"Werewolves and vampires are, as you've seen, not the best of friends. So when the two of them band together to protect something, it's assumed that whatever they're protecting is worth a great deal." My eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh." I said. Edward smirked crookedly.

"So. I've been doing night patrols around your house to make sure you're fine." My eyes widened. He was doing WHAT?

"Um Edward, you really don't have to do that." He waved me off.

"It's fine. I don't have anything better to do at night anyways." I blushed, looking down at my jeans. Lovely. I try to not gain attention, and I end up getting smattering amounts of it. "It's really fine, you know." Edward said in a somewhat softer tone. I looked up at him. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. None of us would for that matter. You're…special Bella." And with that exact moment, the bell for Biology decided to ring. Thank goodness.


	24. Ribbit!

Ahh love you guys. I know that this is a short ish chapter, but as usual, I'm veryyy tired xD. I love you all though! And I read every single review since it makes me happy! :D

Edward and I quickly made our way to Biology. After his previous comment in the car, I didn't exactly know how to talk to him. So instead, I just kept my eyes to the ground, and I moved quickly to Mr. Banner's classroom. As soon as I entered, I groaned. It was a lab day. Which mean that I would have to talk to Edward during the entire period. Un-fricking-believable.

Mr. Banner quickly explained the purpose of the lab. We were identifying different parts of a frog. Luckily, it was just a diagram of the internal organs, so we didn't actually have to cut into any frogs. I think Mr. Banner was taking precautions after my last reaction.

Unfortunately, I would have to talk to Edward for the entire class period, since we were lab partners. And after the most awkward conversation…

Thankfully, we did the lab quickly, as we usually did, and we spoke as little as possible. However, at the end of the lab, we still had a large amount of time left, and since no one else in the room was done just yet, we were able to talk.

"Bella?" Edward said, quietly, looking at the tabletop. I raised my head

"Yes?" I was kind of dreading the conversation with him. I didn't do well with awkward.

"When I said you were special, I meant it in a way that may have been different than you had originally thought." One of my eyebrows rose. What did he mean? "You see, you are definitely special, especially because of the fact that you are the sole person whose mind I cannot read." My eyes widened. He couldn't read my mind?

"Wait, what? I thought you could read everyone's minds." He nervously ran a hand through his hair.

"So did I. Until I met you. You see, I'm able to figure people out somewhat easily, so that helps me, but since I can't read your mind, a lot of the time, I'm confused about you. You're very unpredictable. Like how you kept my secret after I saved you from the crash. Not many humans would have been so true to their word." I thought that over. He was probably right about that. Some people didn't stick to what they said. "But there's more to it than that, Bella." I sensed awkwardness approaching. "You've become a real friend to my family and I, something that would almost seem impossible, especially since you're dating that dog." My eyes narrowed. Edward noticed. "Sorry. Force of habit. The point I'm trying to make is that you do things, regardless of peoples' opinions. It takes a very strong person to do that." He leaned closer. "A very strong person." I shivered. He was close enough that the icy temperature of his skin gave me a chill. Thankfully I wasn't colder for much longer.

"Bella, I have no clue how you finish Banner's labs so fast! It takes me at least two thirds of the period." Usually I needed someone to save me from Mike. Today Mike was saving me by popping in. While Mike's words were directed at me, he was glaring at Edward, his arms crossed. Edward was trying not to smirk, but was glaring coolly back at Mike. "Cullen." Mike said, acknowledging Edward

"Newton." Edward responded. There were a few seconds of silence before Mike took a stool nearby and sat down next to me. He scooted close to me, and before I knew it, Edward was sitting closer to me too. Great. Hopefully I could prevent the imminent bloodshed that was likely to occur if Mike and Edward exchanged more words.

"So Bella," Mike said, ignoring Edward completely. "What did you think of the lab? I had a lot of problems with it. How about you?" Edward rolled his eyes

"Obviously we didn't have that much of a problem with it seeing as we finished first." Came Edward's snotty reply. Mike shot him a glance. I just shook my head. There was fifteen minutes left. I really hoped that they wouldn't start a mini war before the period ended. They bickered slightly, and I just calmed them down whenever they started getting a little bit over the top. Finally the period ended, and Mike stormed off to Gym, while Edward snorted at his retreating figure.

"Idiot. He didn't even wait to walk with you to Gym." I rolled my eyes.

"I can't imagine why." Edward shrugged.

"No matter. I'll walk you there myself. Since your guard dog didn't." Lovely. We walked in the general vicinity of the Gym, and suddenly he stopped. "Bella, you really are special you know. In more ways than you think." He reached to push a strand of hair out of my face. He glanced down at me and then turned around and walked away, a smirk on his face. It was the smirk that did it. I stalked off to Gym, infuriated. I was suddenly good at sports again. We were playing Tennis today, so each ball was Edward's head. Again.

Who was he to touch me like I was his own little trophy? And who was he to think that he could do whatever he wanted? Well he couldn't. Since Jake might overreact, I would go to Alice about it. Maybe she could help Edward learn to keep his hands to himself. Directly after Gym, Alice was waiting for me outside the doorway. I looked at her, confused as to why she was already there.

"I had a vision. You wanted to talk?" I nodded.

"Please tell me that Edward is not getting social tips from Emmett still." She grimaced, I groaned. "Alice, he acts like a total pig when he takes Emmett's advice. As his 'sister', can't you do anything to prevent him from doing that?" She tapped a finger to her chin.

"Actually, I probably could talk to him about that. He's getting annoying at home a bit too." I smiled; less irritated at him I reached to give her a hug.

"Thanks Alice." She smiled

"No problem Bella! After all, what are friends for?" I smiled. She hugged me tighter, and then let go. "But Bella, I have to get going. Ride home, you know the drill. I nodded and waved off to her as I went out to my own truck. When I got home, I just sat down and did all my homework. Then I checked my email, and wrote back to my awaiting mother. I was still a bit tired from the bonfire though, even though I had gotten so much extra sleep. I set my alarm to go off in an hour, so I could go over to the Blacks and make dinner, or they could come over, and I wouldn't be asleep.

The alarm clock went off before I knew it, and I called Charlie. He told me that Billy and Jake were coming over here tonight, so I just made some fish from the mountain we had acquired in the past weeks. I was wondering if we should just open up a fish market. Billy and Charlie would be reeling the money in. I had just started to cook the potatoes for mashed potatoes when the doorbell rang, which was peculiar. Billy always came in, rather than knocking. He was family, so there really was no need to knock in the first place. So. I had no clue who was at the door. I went to it quickly, and couldn't believe what I saw.


	25. Dinner and Dessert

Sorry for leaving you guys a cliff-hanger. (By the way, Davii Himes, I loved your line of "You totally can't just drop-kick me off the cliff like that". I literally laughed out loud xD) Love you all for the amazing reviews Props go to Isabella, ladybug82896, emmet-is-mine, HardlyThere and everyone else! Love all of you guys!!! :D

"What are you doing here?" I asked, shocked that Edward Cullen was at my doorstep. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm attempting to apologize for my behavior." He sighed. "I thought it over and I shouldn't have gotten so competitive with the Newton idiot. So, I'm sorry." I crossed my arms. After his behavior today, I suspected that his apology might have come from Alice talking Emmett's sense out of him.

"You figured this out on your own?" I asked suspiciously. He hesitated.

"Alice kind of talked to me on the way home." I nodded my head.

"I figured. So… any other reason you came here? Since you could have easily offered an apology to me tomorrow…?" he looked at his feet, looking uncomfortable.

"Well…actually yes. My family and I were wondering if you would like to come to dinner one night? Esme has heard a lot about you from everyone, and wants to meet you." I was a little taken aback. Dinner…at the Cullens…what were they going to eat?

"Um…okay? I'll have to tell Charlie and Jake about it…" Edward's eyes narrowed at the mention of Jake, but he didn't say anything.

"Great." He turned. "I should probably go now though. I can hear the dog and his father coming. See you tomorrow Bella." He stalked off to his car, and I just watched him, a bit angry. My boyfriend was not a dog. He zoomed out of the driveway, and I shut the door and began to set the table and finish dinner. Stupid vampire. I set the table and then went to work on mashing the potatoes. Sure enough, the door opened five minutes later, and Billy and Jake came in.

"Bells?" I heard Jake ask, sniffing the air. He found his way to the kitchen. "Hey babe," he said, sweeping down to kiss me on the cheek. He sniffed the air for a second, and his nose wrinkled. "Hon, did you have to speak to any vampires or something? Cause you smell slightly." Great. Count Jerkula had left his stupid scent.

"Yeah. Edward was apologizing for his less than courteous behavior today." Jake's eyes widened.

"What did he do?" Jake asked, his arms wrapping around my waist while he pulled me to his chest in a comforting way. I smiled and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"He was just his normal obnoxious self. Oh and he invited me to dinner at his house or something to meet his mom." Jake didn't respond. "Jake honey? You okay?" I looked up at him, and he looked worried, but not really mad.

"I'm fine Bells. But dinner at his house…? What's going to be the meal?" I shrugged.

"No clue. Venison?" he cracked a smile at that.

"As long as it's not you…and I'm still not thrilled about it. I don't trust him." I looked up to him and quickly pecked him on the lips.

"Don't worry sweetie. If he does anything, I'll have Alice to help. And if that doesn't work, I'll call you." He smiled, and held me tighter.

"Love you." He whispered, giving me goosebumps.

"I love you too." I nuzzled against his chest. "Can you help me put the food on the table though? Charlie should be home soon." He sighed, and extricated himself from around my waist, and helped me put dishes of food on the table. After we finished completely setting the table, we called Billy in, and by the time he got to the dining room, Charlie had arrived home. We all sat down for dinner together, with Jake and me next to each other, as usual. I loved eating dinner with him each night.

The conversation was good, I mentioned going to the Cullens to Charlie, who was fine with it. Billy looked a little concerned, but relaxed when he saw that Jake was okay with it. After dinner, Billy and Charlie went to the living room to watch some game, and Jake and I decided to go out for ice cream. He picked me up on the way to the truck, and I giggled as he opened the door and set me gently into the driver's seat.

We drove to the local ice cream shop, holding hands and when we got out, I refused to let him carry me to the window. He pouted over that, but then I could see the teasing behind it. He settled for having his arm around my waist, which wasn't so bad.

"I'll have…a mint chocolate chip double scoop on a cone please." He said as he ordered his ice cream.

"I'll have…a peanut butter cup double scoop on a cone please." I said, and he then insisted on paying. I rolled my eyes. He was so silly at times. We got our ice creams, and we sat down at a nearby bench. I took a bite of mine. It was delicious, the perfect blend of peanut butter with cold ice cream.

"This is sooo good!" I said, taking another bite. Jake looked at me.

"Can I try some?" he asked "You can have some of mine." I offered mine towards him, and he offered his to mine. We both took a bite.

"Mmm…yours is good too." I said, and he smiled,

"Yours is yummy too." I smiled and leaned on his shoulder. We finished our dessert and went back to the house around twilight. Charlie and Billy were still watching the game, so Jake and I cleaned up. We had a blast splashing each other with soapy water, and by the time the dishes were cleaned, we were soaked. We came into the living room, and Charlie and Billy laughed at us.

"C'mon Jake, let me get some dry clothes of mine." Charlie came back with a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt for Jake. He went to change, and I went to my room to get a new set of clothes. I threw on a plain black tank top, and some pajama bottoms. I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I said, sitting on my bed. Jake came in, with Charlie's slightly tight clothes. Charlie was a bit shorter than Jake. Jake came over to me, and sat next to me. "Clothes comfy?" I asked, relaxing into his arms. He laughed,

"Not the best I've worn, but not the worst." He looked at me. "You look beautiful." I blushed.

"Jake, I'm wearing old pajama bottoms and a tank top." I rolled my eyes.

"You look comfy and happy. And you're my Bella, so you're beautiful as it is." I smiled and just shook my head at him.

"You're silly. And you're not so bad looking yourself." I said, stroking his hair. It was still short from when he had cut it on Halloween, and I wasn't quite used to it yet. He still looked gorgeous of course. He took my hand, and held it to his face, just gazing tenderly at me. I smiled. Then, of course, Charlie had to call us back down.

"Bells! Jake! Billy wants to get home before it gets too late!" Jake rolled his eyes.

"Of course." I snickered.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow baby." I kissed him gently.

"Seems a bit long, but it'll be the best part of my day." My smile grew even wider. We walked downstairs to the awaiting Billy and Charlie, and we went out to their car. We waved them off, and I gave Jake a good night hug and kiss, and then went up to bed. My dream of the night had me in Jake's arms at a bonfire, spending time with the tribe and him.


	26. Sheet Music

Sorry for the two day wait; But here it is finally! LalalalaLOVE you guys!

As usual, I got ready for school in a rush. I was finding myself more and more tired with each passing night, but I had been pretty busy recently. I walked out the front door and went straight to my red truck. The drive to school went quicker than usual, and I parked and as soon as I got out, I was greeted by Edward Cullen, who was leaning against my truck. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning greeting? I thought that I don't usually see you until lunch?" His eyebrows raised, and he sent me a smirk.

"I was going to ask you what day you wanted to come over for dinner. Esme wants to know ahead of time, so we don't interfere with any plans of yours." I was slightly taken aback, but I didn't show it.

"Tomorrow would be fine. Is that okay with you?" He nodded

"Tomorrow is excellent." He looked excited as he leaned forward, towards me. He took a step closer to me. "In fact," he said, towering over me. "It's absolutely perfect. Can't wait to have you over." He grinned that crooked smile, and winked, and strode away. I stared at his back, my hands clenched into fists. He needed a slight attitude adjustment.

I went to first period and immediately, I was subjected to a pop quiz. I groaned, and worked my way through it. Surprisingly, I knew more answers than I expected to know. As the day went on, I caught up with Jess and Angela, both of whom were crazy busy. Angela was trying to plan yet another dance, this one would be before Thanksgiving break, and Jess was helping her, as usual. When lunchtime finally came, I met up with Alice before I entered the cafeteria.

"Hey Bella!" she greeted me, waving cheerily. "I hear that you're coming over tomorrow? I'm so excited! Esme is going to love you!" I smiled.

"I'm sure. I have a question. Has Edward been talking to Emmett about dealing with girls again?" I raised an eyebrow as I asked. She groaned and hit her head with one of her small palms.

"I'm guessing so. Is he being obnoxious yet again?" I nodded. "I swear, that boy should talk to someone with a bit of a more polite experience with girls, like Carlisle or Jasper. Emmett is getting a bit of a kick out of watching Edward look like an idiot." I rolled my eyes.

"Boys." She shrugged.

"Who can understand them?" I laughed.

"I do not know." I replied. "C'mon, I have to get lunch." She smiled and nodded as we went off to the lunch line. I grabbed a regular Caesar salad. I wasn't in the mood for anything too heavy, and plus, I didn't want to get the pasta with tomato sauce. I might have been too tempted to throw it at Edward's head. We made our way to the table, and we took our regular seats. Hers was next to Jasper, and mine was in between her and Edward. Edward smiled as we sat down. Rosalie offered me a light smile. She wasn't exactly ecstatic with a human knowing her secret, but I think she liked me. Jasper didn't really notice, and Emmett just found me funny. I was constantly falling over things, so I was a source of entertainment. Plus, I was constantly getting annoyed with Edward.

"Salad today?" Edward said, examining my food.

"Yup." I answered, putting a forkful of it in my mouth. He poked the dish with his finger.

"It doesn't look very appetizing." He said, wrinkling his nose. "And it doesn't really smell like anything." I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry, they were all out of type AB negative when I got there. Maybe if I go early tomorrow, I can get some. Would that be better?" Jasper stifled a laugh, as did Alice and Rosalie. Emmett burst out laughing, not caring whether or not Edward got angry. Edward didn't lose his cool though.

"I was just saying that if I had to choose something to bite, it wouldn't be that." He said, pointing at the salad. "I would choose something more…delectable." He said looking me up and down.

"Just remember," I said stiffly. "You don't always get what you choose." He sighed and rested his head in his hand on the table.

"Indeed." He looked directly into my eyes. "Very true." I did a little shiver. I always felt awkward when he did stuff like this. Luckily, Alice changed the conversation, and led it for the rest of the lunch period. After the bell rang for Biology, we went our separate ways, except for Edward and I. We went together to Biology in silence, as usual. As we arrived, I put my books down, but Mr. Banner called over Edward.

"Edward, can you go down to the office and collect a few textbooks? I realized that we're a bit short of them for today's class." Edward nodded.

"Sure thing sir. Let me just put my books down." He put them on the desk, and as he did so, a paper fluttered to the floor without him noticing. He went over to Mr. Banner and then went to the office. I sighed and picked up the paper. Even though he was being obnoxious, I could be nice. It was face down on the floor as I bent to pick it up. As I flipped it over, I saw sheet music, and notes that had started to be drawn in. I was confused. Since when did Edward compose music? I looked at the top for a title of some sort, but only found the words 'For Her'. I slipped it into his book, and decided not to ask him about it. He probably liked some girl, and was writing her a song. Although I'd love to be a jerk and tease him about it, I'd be nice.

He returned somewhat quickly, and took his seat beside me.

"Miss me?" He asked, sliding open his book. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he found the piece of sheet music in there. "How did this get here…?" he asked, his voice trailing off. I blushed. Of course I hadn't put it in the correct place.

"It fell out as you put your books down. I picked it up and put it back in the book. It was no big." I tried to shrug it off. He didn't move.

"Oh." He said. "Thanks." I nodded. It really wasn't a big deal, but apparently I had embarrassed him somehow. Whatever, maybe it would make him less obnoxious for the period.

That period we learned about the importance of DNA and how it's a double helix, and how it stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It was, needless to say, not one of the most exciting classes that I had gone through in Forks High. The period ended and Edward seemed to almost be in a rush to leave the classroom. He had barely spoken a word to me during the entire Biology period, which for him, was very odd. Still, I wasn't complaining. If this meant that he wouldn't be annoying me and being a jerk, I liked him being embarrassed. Even if he was embarrassed for no reason.

Gym was in a word, painful. We were playing dodge ball. The word alone made me cringe. I somehow managed to get hit first every time a game started, so I sat out most of the class, but I did have to undergo some pretty painful hits. Mike seemed to be the best player, but also he was the strongest hitter. If I had to get hit by somebody in this game, then I would have preferred to have gotten hit by Tyler Crowley than Mike. I got changed, and then I left to go home.

I dropped my stuff off at home and went straight to Jake's. We were going to hang out with Quil and Embry today. I didn't like stealing Jake from his friends constantly, so we usually compromised and spent at least two nights a week with him and his friends. Naturally, he didn't want to hang out with me and the Cullens. Can we say horror movie fight?

I arrived and Jake bounded to my door, swung it open, unbuckled my seatbelt and swept me into his arms.

"Well isn't someone excited to see me?" I teased. And he smiled.

"I missed you like crazy Bells. And I couldn't wait to have you in my arms again."

"Gag me with a ladle." I heard Quil's familiar voice say. Jake rolled his eyes, and turned around with me still in his arms.

"Oh chill Quil. Just because the girls at school avoid you like the plague doesn't mean you have to mock me because I have a girl that likes me." Quil rolled his eyes

"Whatever man. Just don't be getting soft on us. How can you be a tough werewolf when you act like a sweet puppy dog?" I giggled, and Embry chuckled. Jake just shrugged.

"Whatever man, let's just watch something on the TV." We went inside the house, with me not being allowed to touch the floor, as was normal because of Jake being silly. I snuggled up to Jake on the couch, and we watched TV and talked with Quil and Embry. Before long, Billy arrived home, and Charlie followed soon after. Because Jake was being odd, and refusing to let me walk, we ordered pizza and buffalo chicken wings for supper. The food was entirely demolished, by the three teenage boys and the two grown men. I got my fill though, so I was lucky. I had to go home somewhat early, because I hadn't finished my homework. I waved goodbye to Jake, and Charlie and I set off for home, me in my truck and him in his cruiser. I got ready for bed, and did all my homework. By the time I finished, I fell asleep within seconds, and I was in dreamland in minutes.


	27. A Night at the Cullen's Part 1

Oh. My. Goodness. I have officially hit the 100 mark in reviews! Have I mentioned how much I completely LOVE YOU GUYS? Okay, for my extra special fans, you get an extra special super long chapter, and the next chapter should be pretty long too. Love you guys sooooo much! I think that's a good present :D!

I woke up early the next morning, so I would be ready to be out the door by the time Edward arrived. Since I wasn't bringing my own truck, I didn't want to be rude and late. I put on a brown sweater and a pair of long dark jeans along with black ballet flats. Hopefully this was dressy enough for dinner at the Cullens. I grabbed my bag and went down the stairs to the front door. I flung it open and quickly stepped out, locked it, and then ran straight into Edward Cullen.

"What the…? You were not there two seconds ago." I said, looking up at him indignantly. He smirked.

"You're right. I wasn't there two seconds ago. I'm very fast." He said, with that obnoxious smirk on his face. I glared at him. Stupid vampire abilities. "Shall we go to school?" He said, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and strode past him toward the car.

"Let's go." I said flatly, getting annoyed with him by the moment. I wasn't a morning person to begin with, and he wasn't exactly increasing my less than good mood. By the time I was halfway to the car, he had already opened the passenger door for me. "Thanks." I said. His ever-present smirk grew even larger, if that was possible.

"No problem." He said, throwing in an annoying wink. I glared. I should have brought garlic. That probably would have shut him up. I shut the door and he got into the driver's seat, and started the car and began driving to school. "So…" he started, obviously trying to ease the tension. The obnoxious jerk seemed to have retreated in embarrassment. Good. I didn't like that side of him at all. It was barely tolerable. "Are you nervous to meet Esme?" he asked awkwardly. I thought before answering.

"Not really. She sounds really nice from what you guys have told me about her. I'm kind of psyched to meet her actually." He genuinely smiled, all traces of the jerk smirk gone.

"She's wonderful." He said. "I honestly have never met a more caring, nurturing, maternal, and loving person. She looks after all of us like we were her own children." His eyes took on a different light when he was talking about his family, although he did that so rarely, that I didn't usually see this side of him. It was more boyish and innocent; much different than the persona he tried to convey at school. I let a smile slip out, glad that he was finally getting over being a jerk. Well, for the time being anyway.

"I can't wait to meet her." I said. He smiled.

"Neither can I. She'll just love you. She's heard so much about you; from Alice, from Emmett, from Rose…" I nodded. Alice was quite a chatterbox, so I was sure that Alice had said some stuff about me to Esme. We rode the rest of the way in silence, but luckily, since Edward drove so fast, it was a short drive.

"Thanks." I said, getting out of the car. He nodded. "I'll see you at lunch." I turned and walked over to Angela and Jess, the both of which who looked like they had just been slapped in the face.

"Why did Edward Cullen drive you to school today?" Jess demanded, her hands landing immediately on her hips. Her eyes were wide and I sighed. Lovely. I got to be questioned before school.

"He picked me up so it would be easier for me to come over his house and have dinner tonight," I explained. "It's really not a big deal."

"Not a big DEAL?!" Jess said, her jaw dropping. "You're going to Edward Cullen's house. For DINNER. Why didn't you tell us about this, pray tell?" I rolled my eyes. Jess was a good friend, but she was melodramatic sometimes. Luckily, Angela stepped in next.

"Bella, why are you going over their house for dinner again?" I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Well everyone wants me to meet their mom, and since I've met most of their family, I figured why not?" Angela nodded.

"That's reasonable." Jess spluttered, but she couldn't form an understandable sentence before the bell rang. "C'mon Jess." Angela said, pulling Jess with her to her next class. "We'll see you later Bella!" She called. I sighed. Well that was easier than I thought it would have been at least, I amended in my head. The first few periods went by in a blur. I wasn't really focused on anything that we learned; I was focusing on the fact that I would meet the famous Esme.

I was worried if she would like me or not, but I thought that from Edward's description, she sounded like a really nice person. So hopefully, she would like me. Lunch came before I knew it. I stood in line with Alice, but when we arrived at the table, Edward was missing.

"Rose, do you know where Edward went?" Alice asked, and Rosalie flipped her hair.

"Edweird went to one of the music rooms, I think. Or maybe to the Volvo. I wasn't really listening. He was talking about finishing his song." She then turned her attention to Emmett, and they gazed adoringly into each others' eyes. I decided to ignore them. Alice looked worried, and sat down nervously next to Jasper.

"I hope he's all right," she said, her eyes focusing off into nowhere. Jasper slipped an arm around her waist.

"Honey, he was fine. From the emotions I got from him, he was just suddenly hit by inspiration, that's all. And you know how he gets when he gets in his writing moods." This all went over my head, but I nodded along, and pretended I knew what was going on. Alice chattered away the entire lunch period, and before I knew it, I was heading off to Biology, alone. I entered the classroom, and saw Edward at a desk, an exuberant smile on his face. I didn't know what he was so happy about, but I didn't know whether or not I should ask.

"Happy about something?" I asked, and he nodded eagerly.

"Finished a piece of music." He explained. "I haven't been able to compose a piece for a while." He was almost glowing, and he was slightly bouncing up and down. He reminded me of the little boy personality I had seen from him earlier today. I had to say, I liked him a lot better when he acted about seven, then I did when he was acting his eternal seventeen.

"That's good then," I said, chuckling slightly. Mr. Banner appeared in the room, before we could have any more conversation.

"Alright boys and girls, today you guys get a lazy day. We're going to watch a movie on the exciting life of a cell." Half of the class cheered. He continued. "And you guys also have to fill out this worksheet." Now the other half of the class groaned. He rolled his eyes. "Come on guys, it's not that bad, I promise." He passed out the papers and shut off the lights. The video was beyond boring. I almost fell asleep, but I was able to keep myself awake by doodling on the corner of the worksheet that he had given us. I had filled it out quickly, already knowing most of the answers. After the dreadful movie was over, I went straight to Gym. This woke me up a bit from the movie we had just watched in Biology. We were playing soccer, one of my worst games. As it was, I slipped on the ball when somebody passed it to me carelessly, and I landed straight on my butt. Ouch.

I made my way out of the locker room and found Edward waiting outside of the Gym.

"Ready?" He asked, dangling his car keys, and I rolled my eyes. He appeared to have gotten over his little boy moment. Too bad. I nodded and we made our way to the car, where Alice was waiting. "Alice…what are you doing here?" He asked, confused at her sudden appearance. She smiled.

"I'm coming back with you guys. Jazz got a ride with Emmett and Rose, so I decided to wait for you guys. Plus," she sniffed. "You get so much more time with Bella than I do. It's not fair." I rolled my eyes.

"Like a whole forty five minutes makes that much of a difference." Edward muttered under his breath. Alice pretended to not hear him.

"So Bella!" she exclaimed. "Do you want to ride shotgun, or do you want to ride together in the backseat?" I laughed slightly. Alice was ridiculously hyper.

"I guess I'll sit with you in the backseat." I said

"Yay!" She jumped up and down slightly and clapped her hands. I shook my head at her. She was ridiculous. One of a kind, certainly. But she was also ridiculous. "So where were you today at lunch, Edward?" She asked as we began to drive to their home.

"I was finishing my piece." He said, focusing only on the road.

"Oh." She said. She then ignored him altogether and focused on me. "Bella, I can't wait for you to meet Esme! And you are going to LOVE dinner! We made it especially for you!" She beamed excitedly.

"That's awesome!" I said. "But what are you guys going to have?" Alice rolled her eyes.

"Please Bella, we hunted last weekend. We're nowhere near thirsty." She said, as if I should have guessed that. Edward attempted to stifle a snicker, and he failed. Alice chattered on for the rest of the ride, until suddenly, she clapped her hands together. "Bella! Put your hands over your eyes! I want you to wait until we get to the house for you to see it." I didn't really understand why she wanted me to do that, but I did what she said. Finally, she announced that I could take my hands off of my eyes. I gasped. The house was stunning. It was half made of glass, half made of a deep warm wood. It was set into the forest, and was about three stories tall. There was a little flower garden to the side of the doorway leading to the front of the house, and it looked private, quiet, and peaceful. "What do you think?" Alice asked excitedly, practically bouncing around the car.

"It's stunning." I managed to get out. She smiled.

"Come on, let's get you to Esme!" She dragged me by the arm towards the door.

"Don't rip her arm off Alice…" I heard Edward mutter under his breath as he stuck his hands in his pockets, and he sauntered toward the door. As soon as we reached the door, it was opened by a woman. She had shoulder length caramel colored hair that had a slight amount of wave in it. She looked to be in her thirties, and she was wearing a slightly ruffled white blouse with a navy blue skirt that ended near the top of her waist along with navy heels. She was very beautiful, and she smiled warmly at me.

"Welcome to our home, Bella." She said, extending her arms toward me. "I'm glad that I finally get to meet you!" she said happily. I went forward and greeted her with a hug. We embraced quickly, and she then took a step back and looked at me. "Why, you're simply gorgeous! I'm surprised Edward didn't mention this, what with all he's said so far. How could you forget the fact that she's beautiful, Edward?" Esme chided Edward as he looked at the floor.

"Mom…." He said, his eyes glued to his feet. If it weren't for the fact that he was a vampire, I was sure that he would have blushed if he could have. She tsked. Lucky for him, Alice came to his rescue.

"Mom, why don't we get Bella something to drink? After all, she's probably thirsty, and that should tide her over until Carlisle gets home." Esme nodded.

"Right this way dear!" she said, and went off in the direction of what I guessed to be the kitchen. She opened up the refrigerator. "What would you like?" my jaw dropped slightly. The fridge was stocked, from twelve different types of soda, to five types of juice, along with bottled water, and milk.

"Um…can I have a glass of milk please?" I was shocked at all the drinks that they had in their fridge. Esme cast me a sheepish glance.

"Sure thing hon. Sorry, we didn't know what you'd like…so we went a bit crazy. We don't get a lot of 'normal' visitors often, as I'm sure you can guess." She smiled. I smiled in return.

"I understand completely. Thank you for having me over." Her smile grew wider.

"Oh Bella, you don't know how much I'm thankful for you to come over. It's time that they met some other kids, who actually know about the secret." She nodded confidentially. "Everyone's quite taken with you. Especially Edward. You're practically all he talks about. I'm afraid I embarrassed the poor dear though…" her voice trailed off as Edward entered the kitchen.

"Mom? I was just wondering if I could give Bella a tour?" Edward asked uncertainly. Esme hopped up.

"Definitely! Let's get going!" She was ready to go, and we walked into the front room, and then the front door opened and Carlisle entered.

"Hello Bella," he said courteously. Esme smiled, as did Edward.

"Hello Dr. Cullen." I said. He smiled.

"Please, please, call me Carlisle. Let's sit down." He motioned to the sofas nearby in the front room. We sat down, and just began talking, and getting to know each other. Soon enough, Rosalie and Emmett joined us, along with Jasper and Alice. I really was beginning to like Esme, the more I was getting to know her. So far, the evening seemed to be off to a very good start.


	28. A Night at the Cullen's Part 2

All right, I love you guys so so so so so much! Reviews make me smile, and encourage me to write a lot! Love you guys so much (I seriously brag to my friends about you amazing people!)

We stayed in the front room until around five o'clock, and that was when Esme thought I might be hungry. She ushered me, along with the rest of the family into the dining room. My jaw dropped. There was a huge table set up with a good amount of food. There was a bowl of salad that had about six bottles of dressing around it, along with mashed potatoes, corn, steak, shrimp, and chicken.

"Esme, I really appreciate this, but you didn't have to do all of this for me," I managed to get out. She let out a lilting laugh.

"Bella, it's an honor to do it. We don't normally get human visitors. It's a pleasure to be able to do this for you. Especially after how much you've been there for everyone." She smiled down at me. I couldn't help but smile in response.

"Well, thank you just the same. It's very nice of you to do all of this for me." Alice decided to chirp in

"It's no problem Bella! We've been looking forward to this for a long time. Isn't that right, you guys?" Everyone nodded. "So, take a seat Bella," Alice continued, "and enjoy!" We each took a place at the table, and had standard dinner conversation; what was going on in school, the unchanging weather, what was going on in the world. As I ate my food, I noticed how smoothly they got along. They truly were a family. Each of their personalities complimented and enhanced one another's. It was so interesting to see them here, so unburdened by the human charade they had to put forward each day. They were different, and they were free.

I ate until I was full, and Esme tried to get me to eat more, but I politely declined. For vampires, they sure knew how to cook food. But I was stuffed. We generally got up and went into different rooms. Emmett and Rosalie went off somewhere, after politely excusing themselves, while Alice, Jasper, Esme, Carlisle, Edward, and I went to the front room again. Upon entering the room again, I noticed a giant grand piano.

"Wow." I said, unable to help myself. "That's beautiful." They followed my gaze across the room.

"Yes, it's very fine. It's well tuned as well, since Edward plays it. Do you play?" Carlisle asked quizzically. I laughed.

"I wish," I said sheepishly. "My mother loved to play piano though, even if she wasn't exactly the best at it." I shook my head at the memories of her plunking her way through songs like Ode to Joy with a fierce determination. She always got the notes confused, and ended up hitting the wrong notes constantly. She had a lot of fun doing it though. Then one small detail registered in my mind. "Edward, you like to play?" I asked. He scuffled his feet against the ground, looking to the floor yet again.

"Yeah, but I'm okay at it. Nothing special." Alice, Carlisle, and Esme all scoffed simultaneously.

"You're okay at it?" Esme said. "You're amazing! You should play for Bella! Play that newest piece that you just wrote." She said, with the firm command of a proud mother.

"Mom…I'm sure Bella doesn't want to hear me play some little song I wrote." Esme rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure she would love to. Isn't that right Bella?" I nodded my head. "See? There you have it. Now go play." She shooed him in the general direction of the piano and he sighed.

"You're coming with me though," he said, as he went on his way towards the piano bench. I didn't care, and came along willingly enough. He put his fingers to the ivory keys, and a sweet gliding melody came out of the piano. They wrapped around the room, gentle but firm. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It sounded completely beautiful. It was soothing and filled with emotion, almost like adoration. I glanced at the sheet music that he was reading from. It was the same music I had found in Biology that day, entitled, 'For Her'. I made a mental note to ask Alice who 'her' was. The tune came to a slight and subtle end. I found myself with a tear rolling down my cheek, because I was so touched by it. He looked at me in awe. "You liked it that much?" he asked quietly. I wiped the tear away.

"That was beautiful Edward," I said, a bit in shock. Esme and Alice exchanged smiles. Carlisle just looked upon his son proudly. After Edward's amazing display on the piano, we settled back into the front room and just talked for a few hours. I was shocked to see how differently he acted than he did at school. He was much more gentle and caring than he let on normally. The obnoxious behavior had really gone down, compared to his daily jerkiness. It was nice to see him as a less annoying person, since I had really had that idea of him ingrained in my head. The rest of the night went smoothly, until…

Rosalie and Emmett returned, with Rosalie seething, and Emmett in his normal mood of humor.

"Bella," Rose hissed. "Apparently your sled dog team is here." As I sat there with a confused expression, she glared towards the door. "Your boyfriend has come to pick you up." My jaw dropped slightly.

"Jake is here…?" I asked, non-believing. Alice's jaw dropped, along with Jasper and Esme. Edward and Carlisle seemed to be some of the only ones not fazed by this. I quickly got up and went to the door and when I flung it open, and there was Jake, accompanied by Quil and Embry. They looked very uncomfortable, but there was only one expression on his face. He looked very worried.

"Bella, you're okay?" He asked, in a concerned tone.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I was surrounded by vampires, which might not have been the best idea, if I had been in a horror film, but these vampires were definitely safe. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness." He said, running a hand through his short locks. Rosalie crossed her arms and practically spat at Jake.

"So, what are you here for dog? You didn't trust us?" She asked scathingly, looking up at him. He sent her an annoyed glance.

"That's not the case in the least. If Bella trusts you, I trust you, no matter what my tribe says otherwise. I'm here because we've been watching the attacks that have been going on, and one happened recently that was closer than any of them have been." All the vampires' eyes widened. "I was worried about her, and I thought we might want to discuss precautions to keep her safe." Edward nodded.

"Of course. Whatever it takes to keep her safe. So, what were you planning on doing?" Jake hesitated.

"Actually, I was thinking of maybe having twenty four hour surveillance on her. I've been trying to have late runs around her house at night, but Billy wants us to keep a bit closer to home to protect the tribe." Edward nodded. I burst in.

"You've been doing WHAT? And you haven't told me? Jake-" He cut me off.

"It was necessary Bells. I can't have you getting hurt, remember?" He put his arm around me and kissed my forehead. I crossed my arms.

"I'm not a five year old. I can take care of myself." Quil snickered.

"Says the one who trips over flat ground." Said Quil. I glared. This only made him laugh more.

"Quil." Jake said with an exasperated sigh. The snickering stopped.

"Thanks" I whispered. Jake just held me tighter.

"What were you thinking for about the twenty four hour surveillance?" Edward asked, crossing his arms. "We don't sleep as you know, so we can manage it during the night, but what about the rest of the day?" Jake smiled

"Well, during the school day, she should be safe with five of you there, and after school, she can hang out with either of us. That way, we're taking care of her at all times." Edward nodded.

"That seems like a good idea. Are you guys okay with it?" He said, turning to the rest of his family. They nodded.

"Of course we'll protect Bella!" Alice cheered. "Right Jazz?" He smiled and nodded.

"We can take turns, or even go together!" Esme said, cheerfully. "Maybe if we're quiet enough, we can even hang out with her at night." Alice clapped her hands at that.

"Perfect! Now I can plan your outfit for each day!" she said, probably already plotting outfits in her head. That took off some of the tense atmosphere that had entered, and everyone laughed.

"I'll take the first shift tonight." Edward said quietly. "Black, get her home, please." Jake nodded.

"Come on, Bella." He said, tugging on my arm. Quil and Embry were already practically out the door. I turned to the Cullens.

"Thank you so much." I said, tears coming up in my eyes. "I really had an amazing time tonight, and I appreciate that you guys are looking out for me." I went to Esme and Alice and Rosalie and gave them a hug. They all returned the hug, even Rosalie. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper patted me gently on the back. Edward just observed.

"It's not a problem at all Bella," Alice whispered. "You're like one of the family to us." She hugged me tighter. "Now go. We'll keep you safe." I smiled and went towards the door with Jake again.

"Thank you again!" I said and waved to them. Then a thought occurred to me as Jake and I were outside. "How did you guys get here? You can't drive." Jake gave me a sheepish grin.

"Well, we kind of transformed into wolves to get here…" his voice trailed off.

"Um…so how am I getting home?" He smiled.

"Easy. You don't think I'd let a day go by without you in my arms, did you?" I smiled goofily.

"You are ridiculous. And you can't go as fast in your human form, can you?" Jake gave me a grin.

"Well, wolf form is just easier since you can go through the forests without worrying about hitting trees as much, but I can still go relatively fast as a human. And with Quil and Embry in wolf form, you'll be safe. Don't worry." He picked me up in his arms, and began to lightly run, going faster than a normal human, but just a bit slower than the maximum limit of my car. I just stayed cradled to his chest, breathing in his woodsy scent, and relaxing myself with the fact that I was in fact able to see him. I was trying to ignore the fact of the vampire attacks. With the Quileutes and the Cullens protecting me, I was sure to be safe.

We got to my house quicker than I expected. Jake set me down gingerly, and kissed me on the forehead, and then on the lips.

"Thank you baby," I murmured after he broke away from the kiss.

"For what?" He asked in sincere confusion.

"For coming to get me and protecting me." He stroked a piece of hair out of my face.

"Bella, I love you more than I could possibly say. There is nothing that would keep me from protecting you. You're my Bells, and you're absolutely perfect. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." I crushed myself against his chest in a hug, and he squeezed me to comfort me.

"I love you more than I could ever say too. And you have no clue how much it means to me that you care so much." I said, looking up at him.

"Well then," He said looking down. "I'd say we're both pretty lucky. But you should get to bed Bella. I'll see you tomorrow, okay baby?" I nodded and he kissed me on the head. "Love you Bells." I squeezed him tighter to me before I let go.

"Love you too Jake." He smiled, and walked into the woods. I heard a slight noise that must have been him changing, and I then saw three wolves go into the light that came from the porch, one chocolate brown which I assumed was Quil, one was a lighter more tan brown which must have been Embry, and the other was reddish brown, and was My Jacob. He came forward quickly, nuzzled his head against my hand, and then he and the other wolves went off into the night. I smiled at their comradeship, and went inside to see Charlie. After locking the door, and checking it several times, I said goodnight to Charlie and got ready for bed. Knowing that the Cullens were looking out for me gave me a sense of ease, and I felt calmer than I probably would have, if the situation was different. I went to bed a little bit tense, but mostly calm.


	29. Good Morning!

I woke to see Alice in my room. I stared up at her groggily.

"What are you doing here?" I croaked out. She smiled eagerly.

"I said I was going to plan your outfits and I meant it! About two hours ago, I came over. I got bored so I reorganized your room while I was at it." I looked around the room. It was cleaner and more organized, and the closet doors were closed ominously.

"Jeez Alice." I said, "Only you can take vampires possibly attacking me, and turn it into a chance to make over something." She laughed lightly.

"That may be true," She amended. "But you'll look fabulous! Come on; let's dress you for the day." She pulled my hand towards the closet. When I got in there, I didn't recognize half the clothing in there.

"Alice…did you deport my normal wardrobe, or am I seeing things?" She giggled.

"Well you know how I said I came over two hours ago? The only reason I was so late was because I was shopping before! After we went shopping in September, I know your sizes. We vampires don't forget anything! Like elephants." I looked at her, not sure how to respond.

"Thanks…but you didn't really need to do that." I sighed. "Let's get it over with. What do you have planned out for me to wear?" She rubbed her hands together. In the end, she had me dressed in a black flouncy skirt that was above my knee, but lower than mid thigh, along with a dark green silk wrap shirt. She paired it with my black ballet flats after I refused to wear heels to school, but apparently she wasn't done just yet.

"What about accessories?" She whined. "And I haven't done your hair or makeup yet!" I sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'm not going to be your Barbie doll everyday though!" I warned her. She appeared to be ignoring me. She quickly put my hair into one braid and spritzed it with hairspray; which had also miraculously appeared overnight. She got out a pair of silver dangly earrings, and let me wear my wolf necklace that Jake had given me. While she set to work on adding makeup to me, I looked at my reflection. It was pretty, but I didn't really see the point of a braid. After she finished with the makeup, she looked at me.

"Perfect. Except I need to finish the hair." She pulled the ponytail holder out of my braid and gently separated my hair. It was wavy from the braid, and retained its shape from the hairspray. She spritzed my hair with the hairspray again anyway, just to retain maximum wave or something like that. She looked me up and down. "My work here is done!" She said happily. "Now, let's get to school." I rolled my eyes.

We went downstairs; Charlie was already gone, so he would never know that Alice had been here. I walked out the front step to see an unfamiliar yellow car in the driveway.

"What…is this?" I asked uneasily. It looked very fast, and not very inconspicuous. She giggled.

"It's my car silly! Now come on, we've got to get to school. Edward's taking everyone else in the Volvo." I sighed and went in the car. My poor truck was apparently not getting used anytime soon. Well, I could drive it to Jake's at least. I smiled at the thought of Jake, as Alice chattered on about something on the ride to school.

As we finally arrived, Alice and I went straight to the Cullens, since we were earlier than most of the high school. Rosalie looked at me with a raised eyebrow, as Emmett and Jasper just nodded their heads approvingly. Edward's eyes widened slightly. He didn't say anything though; his eyes just quickly went to the ground. What was going on with him? I shrugged it off, not really concerned with that. I stood with them for a while, just talking. When I saw Angela and Jess arrived, I said goodbye, and went to go hang out with them. Their eyes bugged out a bit at my appearance.

"Damn girl." Said Jess. "Where'd you get that top?" I shrugged.

"It was a present." I felt awkward in the top and skirt. I was showing much more skin than I was used to. Mike sauntered up to us, and put his arm around Jess's waist.

"Hey babe." He said to her, and then he saw me. "Bella?" He asked incredulously. "You look…nice." Jess gave him a look. "But not as gorgeous as you babe." He said looking to her. She smiled. "No offense Bella." He said quickly.

"None taken." I said, laughing. The rest of the morning went something like that as well. Guys seemed to be taking more notice of me, regardless of the fact that I had a boyfriend. I just rolled my eyes and ignored them. Tyler Crowley was popping up everywhere, and I avoided him the best I could. It was a shame that I was wearing the skirt, because I couldn't run. I ditched him as often as possible though. By the time I met Alice and the others at lunch, I was already partially exhausted. He didn't dare go near the Cullens, so I was safe. Until after school at least.

"Alice, your dressing me has become a nuisance today." I said, pointing a finger at me.

"Why would that be?" She asked innocently. I looked at her.

"You know exactly why. Tyler Crowley seems to have forgotten the fact that I have a boyfriend that could beat him to a pulp." I rubbed my temples with my fingers. "If this keeps up, I can try out for the track team." I joked.

"I can talk to him if you want." Edward said quietly. I looked to him surprised.

"Its fine, I'm just complaining about him. He hasn't bothered me since after the accident anyways, so I guess he's just having his monthly fit of annoying me." I said with a smile "It should wear off in a few days." Edward didn't say anything else for the rest of the period. Alice and Rosalie chatted with me about going to the mall this weekend, and I agreed grudgingly. Like I needed more clothes. Jasper and Emmett were planning a wrestling match or something, but Edward just sat at the table, suddenly immersed in writing some more music.

By the time we went to Biology, we were watching yet another video. Edward rolled his eyes, and began to mouth the words to it as we were watching it, throwing in funny expressions and just being ridiculous. I had a hard time not laughing loudly, but if I had, Mr. Banner would have given me detention or something.

In Gym, we were playing basketball. I stayed at the back of the pack as everyone ran from one side of the court to the other, chasing after the ball. I knew from experience that if I actually got passed the ball, there was a large chance that I would get a jammed finger from catching it. I managed to evade the ball for the entire period, and as soon as school was over, I went to Alice's car, and she dropped me off at my house. As soon as I was in the driveway, I said a quick thank you to Alice, and rushed to my truck and made my way to Jake's. I was curious to see his reaction to Alice's picking of my outfit. I was wearing green, so I think he would like the top. As I rang the doorbell after arriving, he answered the door.

"Holy…" his jaw dropped. "Why haven't you worn this before?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I had no choice in the matter. Alice dressed me." He took his chin in his hand, and took his time looking me up and down.

"I like this. Is she going to be dressing you everyday?" He asked eagerly. I playfully swiped at him. "Darn." He said, a frown coming on his face.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Now I can't pick you up." He complained. "Your skirt is too short for that." I rolled my eyes.

"You dork." I grabbed his hand and started to go inside. "Come on; let's do our homework before we have fun. I have a lot tonight, but I didn't want to miss out on hanging out with you." We made our way to the dining room table, and started doing it. He kept poking me, and started tickling me too, and it was impossible to do my homework quietly, or peacefully. We kept sneaking in kisses in between each assignment, and we eventually finished our homework, despite our lovely distractions. Finally, we went to the couch and began watching TV. I snuggled up next to him, sitting carefully, because I wasn't used to sitting in skirts. I rested my head against his chest as he put his arm around me, and kissed the top of my head lovingly.

We watched TV for an hour or two, continuing to sneak in kisses. When Billy came home, I immediately got up and got to work making dinner. Jake followed me, and started helping me. Charlie came in about a half hour, and by that time, Jake and I had finished dinner. We set the table, and when we sat down, we ate holding hands, as difficult as it was.

"Dad? Can Jake and I go out tonight?" I asked gingerly, not wanting to seem overly obvious about spending time alone with Jake. A big smile stretched across Charlie's face.

"Sure Bells. There's a game on anyway. As long as it's okay with you Billy." He said, looking over at Billy. Billy nodded.

"Go for it! I'm sure you two kids get sick of spending time with us old timers." He said with a gentle smile. I laughed lightly and Jake just looked at me with a peaceful smile.

"It's not that Dad." Jake said looking into my eyes. "I just don't get to see this gorgeous gal except for a few hours a day. And when I do get to spend time with her, I like having a bit of time alone with just her." I squeezed his hand tighter, a smile coming onto my own face.

"Sure, sure." Billy said nodding. "Understandable." After dinner, Jake and I cleaned up, and then went out to my truck.

"So hun, where do you want to go?" I asked after we both got in. He smiled and cupping my face in his hand, pulling me closer.

"I think we're fine for the moment." He whispered. He kissed me gently, until he finally broke off after a few minutes. "I just got an idea!" he said, a light in his eyes. I smiled and shook my head. Ideas popped into his head at the most random moment.

"Yes?" I asked

"I know the perfect place to go. And since it's somewhat still light outside, we'll have fun doing it."

"Well what is this marvelous idea?" I teased. He smiled.

"I'll direct, you drive." He said, smiling, and reaching for my right hand.

"All right." I agreed, holding his hand while we drove. We finally made our way to the beach. "We were just going to the beach?" I teased. "I could have driven here myself." I teased. A smirk came across his face.

"We're not there just yet little missy." He teased. "Come on, follow me." We made our way through the sand, after I just took my shoes off, trying to prevent sand from getting in them, and finally we made our way to a playground overlooking the beach itself. It was secluded, and had a direct view of the ocean. We went to the swings, and sat down. I sat down carefully, annoyed by the troublesome skirt. We talked as we swung, watching the colors of the sky gently transform into the darker tones of night. Then, we saw the first star of the night.

"Quick!" I said eagerly, pointing to the star. "Make a wish!" I wished that the Cullens and the tribe would eventually get along. Jake stopped swinging, and went over to me, and I stopped swinging. He smiled.

"I'll push you if you want." I shrugged and let him push my swing.

"Did you wish on the star?" I asked, excitedly. He shook his head. "Why not?" I asked.

"Why would I need to wish on a star when I've already gotten my wish granted and here with me?" I turned around, and he stopped pushing. I got up and threw myself in his arms. He just smiled and held me tighter in his arms. "I love you baby." He whispered.

"I love you too." I murmured. We talked the next few hours away, and when it finally got too dark to see correctly, we made our way back to the truck and to Jake's house. By the time we arrived back, the game had finish, and Jake and I had an impromptu goodbye. It ended with our usual hug and kiss, and my goodbye to Billy. I did my normal nighttime routine at home, with my shower and just generally getting ready for bed. I went to bed with the sweet memories of the day with Jake seeping into my dreamland.


	30. Dodgeball!

Oh my goodness! I love all my amazing reviewers! *Hugs all of you amazing people* You guys are amazing!! I know this chapter is a little bit short tonight, but don't worry, you're getting another chapter tomorrow night. Did I mention how much I love all of you? All right, alright, I know you want to get over with this little Author's Note cause you don't care, so READ!

"Good morning cheery ray of sunshine!" A peppy voice woke me up. As I opened my eyes to see light streaming in from the curtains, I saw Alice at the end of my bed. I hid under my covers and groaned.

"I for one do not like this arrangement." I mumbled.

"What was that?" She asked, even though she had superhuman hearing. "Come on, we've got to get you ready for today." I groaned again and got out from under the covers.

"Fine, fine." I said, going towards my closet. She tapped her foot and crossed her arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked.

"Um…choosing clothes for today?" I asked. She shook her head no. "I am not your Barbie doll." I warned. She just looked at me. "Fine." I groaned. "You are annoyingly persistent for a vampire." She just hopped over to the closet. I just sighed as she came out with a light pink baby doll top and a pair of dark blue jeans. "I am NOT a pink person." I warned her. She rolled her eyes.

"Just put it on." She said "While I go and search for suitable shoes." She scrambled back inside the closet while I got into my clothes. The jeans were…tighter than the normal jeans I wore. They looked good, but I usually wore my jeans a bit baggy. These were my perfect size and fit me like a glove, but they'd take a while to get used to. The pink fabric of the baby doll top was wicked comfortable too. Maybe I could get used to Alice's sense of style…that is, if I were able to choose out my own clothing. I didn't see that coming anytime soon though. Alice finally reemerged from my closet…with a pair of black stilettos.

"Perfect!" Alice exclaimed. I shuddered. "What??" Alice asked. "Black goes with EVERYTHING! Plus you could get a bit taller." The fact that this statement was coming from her was frankly quite humorous. She was half a foot shorter than me. I sighed and just put the dang shoes on. Today would be interesting.

Alice did my make-up again, and curled my hair so it was somewhat wavy. I took my truck to school, and had difficulty driving with the dang stilettos. As I made my way to the school, walking very carefully, Tyler Crowley moseyed up to me. Great.

"Hey Bella." He purred. "You know, I never really did get a chance to apologize for that accident that almost hurt you." I fidgeted nervously.

"Tyler…I'm not interested. Thanks but no thanks." I tried scurrying off but that didn't work so well since I was wearing stilettos. Thanks a lot Alice.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He said coolly, his ego still perfectly intact unfortunately for me. "It's no big deal babe; it'd be something small…like a movie?" He had the nerve to wink at me with a big smirk on his face.

"I said I'm not interested Tyler. I have a boyfriend." I said tightly.

"Oh come on." He said, slinging an arm around me. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"I believe she said no, Tyler." A cool voice said from behind me. I looked up and saw Edward with his arms crossed. "Now I suggest that you take her arm off from around her shoulders, before I take it off for you." Tyler took his arm away from my shoulders quickly. Good idea.

"Right man." He said anxiously. "See you later Bells. Call me later if you change your mind, kay?" He walked off quickly to his group of friends as I stared angrily after him. I heard his friends laughing and saying 'Shut down by Cullen!' and 'Nice one Ace!' and Tyler shushing them, looking worriedly back at me and Edward. Wimp. I mean, Edward was a vampire, but it wasn't like he knew that.

"You okay?" Edward asked in a gentler tone than the one he had just used on Tyler. "I hope I wasn't intruding…but it looked like he was being obtuse."

"Thank you. I'm fine; I'm just annoyed by idiocy." I said. I sighed. "Some guys just don't know how to take a hint." Edward smirked.

"Well, I'd have thought that you'd have been used to that by now, but I guess not…" he said mysteriously. I looked at him in confusion.

"Wait, what?" I asked. "What in the world are you talking about?" Edward rolled his eyes.

"Please Bella, Newton? Yorkie? And now Crowley? You're not exactly invisible to the guys here." I thought about that for a second. He was right, but I just thought of it as annoying teenage boys. I thought it was typical behavior.

"Well…still. I stand by what I said. Some guys do not know how to take a hint!" I said stubbornly. Edward laughed.

"Be that as it may, you're still going to have to deal with those guys. Now come on, get to class before you're late." I rolled my eyes but went to class. The rest of the morning went quite smoothly. Then at lunch, I wasn't able to sit with the Cullens. Jess was really upset and needed Angela and me to help her. Apparently Mike and her had had a fight, and they had broken up last night. She was really upset, but still very angry at him. Angela and I got her calmed down and we made plans to have a sleepover tonight to cheer her up. No boys would be allowed. As we departed, Ange and I gave Jess a goodbye hug and planned to meet by the Gym after school.

I went to Biology, and saw Edward there.

"Is Jessica alright?" He murmured. I looked up at him.

"Yeah, she's better…how did you know?" I asked.

"Remember my…erm…talent?" He said. Oh right, his mind reading thing. "And plus, Newton was strutting around, flirting with girls like crazy. Watch out in Gym." I groaned.

"Lovely. As if Tyler wasn't enough this morning. So I suppose you know that I'm sleeping over with them tonight, so you guys don't have to watch the house?" He nodded.

"It doesn't mean that you're going unprotected though. We'll have someone over." My eyes widened.

"You don't need to, do you? I mean, one night?" He sighed.

"Why don't you have Rose and Alice come over? I mean, that wouldn't be too inconspicuous, and you would have fun at the sleepover." I thought it over. That'd work out.

"Alright…we're going to Jess's, and her parents don't mind having a lot of girls over…and I'm sure they'd understand." I said. Edward nodded.

"That's good then. Alice will probably get a vision of it, and realize something's up. She can tell Rose, and they'll run over to the house and be back in five minutes." I looked at him incredulously.

"Five minutes?"  
"Yes. Your point?" I shook my head at him. Stupid vampires and their superhuman speed. And I couldn't even make the mile run without a week of training. The rest of the period went pretty quickly, and sure enough, Rose and Alice were outside the Biology classroom when the period ended to confirm the sleepover. I told Angela and Jess as I passed them in the hallway, and they didn't seem to care too much. As I entered the Gym, I had the unfortunate luck to run into Mike.

"Heya Bella." He said, grinning at me.

"Hi Mike." I said. "Sorry to hear about you and Jess." I said politely. He shrugged it off.

"That's in the past, it wasn't meant to work I guess." I nodded, unsure of what he meant. "Hey," he said, sauntering closer to me, "Wanna go to dinner sometime? I know this great place…" I gulped. Where was Jake when I really needed him?

"No thanks, Mike, I've got a boyfriend. And besides, I wouldn't do that to Jess." I tried walking off and he tried blocking my path. Then he got hit in the head with a dodge ball. This had been thrown by Tyler Crowley. Since when was he in my Gym class?

"Hey Bella!" He said from across the Gym. "I'm making up a gym class." Lovely. I'd have to deal with both of them. "Heads up Newton!" Mike just turned and glared. I took that moment to go to the locker room to change. This was going to be an interesting class.

We played dodge ball. It was separated alphabetically into three teams. I didn't have either of them on my team though, which was lucky for me. I dodged whatever came my way, while I watched them pummel each other with dodge balls. I took advantage and tried to hit them, but since I usually missed, I wasn't the best at this game. As soon as the period ended though, I rushed to the changing room and got out to meet Alice, Rose, Jess, and Angela. Thank goodness. I needed to have some time away from annoying boys.


	31. Sleepover Time

Oh. My. Goodness. Have I mentioned how much I love you all? You guys make my day whenever I see those Review Alerts in my inbox! Love you guys soo much! Hope you like the chapter!

We made plans to split up and get clothes for the coming night, and to meet at Jess's in an hour. Alice and Rose went to Alice's Porsche, and Jess and Angela went off to their cars. I went to my truck and rushed home. I quickly packed, and then immediately called Charlie to ask if it was okay to sleepover Jess's. He agreed and I quickly got off the line to call Jake since I wouldn't be seeing him today.

"Hey baby," he said, his warm voice flooding the phone line. "This is an early call today. What's up?" I instantly melted from the sensation of his voice. After the infuriating day I had had, it was good to hear My Jacob's voice soothing me.

"Oh honey," I started. "You will not believe the day I had to deal with." I sighed.

"Poor Bells. Should I come over and make it better?" I smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice.

"I wish. But I've got to go to Jess's for a sleepover tonight; Mike broke up with her." I said, sad that I wouldn't get to see him tonight, but I was glad that I was at least able to talk to him now.

"Oh poor Jess." He said hastily. "But why was your day bad? Did something happen?" He asked. I sighed. I explained the situation with Tyler and Mike quickly. I could hear him getting annoyed. "Do you want me to talk to them?" He asked. "I wouldn't mind at all."

"No, no, no." I quickly said. "I can deal with it. Plus I've got the Cullens here to help. The guys were just being annoying." I laughed. "I really wish I could see you tonight though." I smiled at the thought of him. His voice always comforted me, no matter how far away he was.

"Alright baby. You know how much I miss you, right?" I smiled into the phone,

"Almost as much as I miss you." I said to him. I heard him chuckle.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm missing you more." He teased.

"Nuh uh." I said, my grin getting wider. We teased back and forth before I realized that I had about ten minutes before I was late. "Jake baby, I've got to get going to Jess's." I said. "But I'll see you later, okay sweetie?"

"Alright." He amended. "Love you beautiful." I smiled.

"I love you too sweetheart." I put hung up and rushed out to the truck with my overnight bag and went to Jess's. I was the last to arrive, but I walked in to see Jess, Angela, Rose, and Alice in a circle laughing uproariously, and with food in the middle.

"Hey Bella!" Alice chimed, waving to me. Rose smirked.

"What took ya so long?" She asked, flipping her hair.

"Yeah Bells," Angela said. "What took ya so long?" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry that I had to call my dad and let him know what was going on, along with Jake." I remarked back, teasingly. They smiled.

"Well you can make up for it by joining the circle." Jess announced. "We're going to have an epic round of truth and dare." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh joy. How could I have lacked the enthusiasm to come and play truth or dare?" I said sarcastically. Angela threw a pillow at me, while Alice and Rose just looked on rolling their eyes.

The next hour and a half was spent playing truth or dare. Although, it was more of a game of just dare than truth or dare. Angela had to have a tray of ice cubes poured down her shirt, while Rose had to recite the alphabet backwards while on her head. Stupid stuff, but hilarious to watch.

We had snacks for dinner although Alice and Rose proclaimed to be 'watching their figures' and therefore couldn't eat anything. Angela made a comment about how if they were watching their figures, then she'd have to get a full time watchman on hers. Everyone cracked up at that. Overall, the sleepover went really well. Angela and Jess fell asleep almost instantly, and Alice, Rose, and I stayed up the entire night. We talked about random things, like teenage girls do.

The next day went quickly. Since it was a Saturday, we got to sleep late, but I left somewhat early. And when I left, so did the Cullens. I gave everyone goodbye hugs and rushed back home. I took a shower, and when I entered my bedroom, I saw an outfit laid out on my bed. There was a note attached in Alice's spidery handwriting. 'For when you see Jake today.' It said. I rolled my eyes. This girl was ridiculous. I put the clothes on anyway. I looked in the mirror and really liked what I saw.

The shirt was light butter yellow and was short sleeved and was flowy. I absolutely loved it. Alice was beginning to understand my style a bit more. She had paired it with a pair of dark jean capri pants and my black ballet flats. I did my own hair and makeup and after drying my hair, I went straight to Jake's, where Charlie was presumably at.

As I bounded up the stairs to Jake's house, I knocked on the door and got swept off my feet. I was instantly in Jake's arms as soon as the door had opened. He nuzzled me to his chest and kissed my forehead.

"I missed you far too much." He murmured into my hair, burying his face into it. I smiled snuggled closer to his chest.

"You're telling me." I joked. "I had to go through an entire horrible day of Jacob deprivation." I shook my head in mock severity. "It was horrible." He smiled and kissed me gently. I could feel his smile in it which made me smile as well.

"Well, I'm glad to know that it's being fixed right now." He said, gazing down at me. I sighed, content in his arms. He carried me in the house, where Charlie and Billy were sitting on the couch. They were used to Jake insisting on carrying me anywhere. They found it quite humorous in fact.

"Keep doing that, and she'll forget how to walk." Charlie joked. I just rolled my eyes and Billy chuckled. Jake just smiled, and he set me down on the couch and sat down next to me. I immediately cuddled up next to him and we all watched TV together. We stayed like that until it was time for lunch, which Jake and I made, and then when dinnertime came, we made that too. We were being lazy and just hanging around the house, but it was actually very comforting in a way. Besides, I didn't really care where I was, as long as Jake was somewhat nearby.

Jake and I went out to see a movie after dinner though, with the insistence of Charlie and Billy. We went to see another horror, which I swore Jake just wanted to see, because I always jumped during it. Well, that, and I could also hide from the big scary monsters by just snuggling into Jake's chest. He was never scared by the movies. Instead, he just laughed at some of the idiotic special effects. After the movie, we went into a photo booth that existed in the arcade. We took a bunch of the typical kind of photos, the goofy bunny ears, a sweet smile, snuggled up, and of course, a kiss. We got two copies of it, so we could each have one with us always. I loved every single picture. Jake then insisted on attempting to win me a stuffed animal out of one of the machines. It took him about five dollars, but he did get me the most adorable stuffed wolf. I cuddled it to my chest as we left the theater. When we finally got back, Charlie and I got ready to go back to our house, and I gave Jake our usual parting hug and kiss. Today had been a happy day. I wished it had been a bit longer, but then again, I always did that. I slept happily, cuddled up with my stuffed wolf that Jake had won me.


	32. Lilac Dresses

Oh goodness gracious. I am so sorry that I haven't updated recently, and that this chapter is semi-short ish. I've been super busy and super tired, so this has kind of been getting neglected as of recently unfortunately. But not to worry! I'll be writing more often this week; I promise! I love you guys sooo much, and enjoy the chapter.

The rest of the weekend flew by. Alice picked me up on Sunday and she and I went shopping, along with Rose. Rose only got things that fit her to a T and had a price tag to match. Naturally, she looked stunning, as did Alice. However, Alice found this was the time to turn me into a full size dress up doll. Yet again. I doubted that I would have any say in my wardrobe in a matter of weeks.

She insisted on paying for everything, and swiped her plastic card more quickly than I could take out my wallet. I glared at her in the car as she just smiled and sang along to the radio with Rose.

When I finally got back home, I groaned and pulled out my homework. I had an enormous amount, and I usually hated leaving it for Sunday night, since I barely finished in time to go to bed. I trudged my way through linear equations and a critical analytical essay on a book we had just read. By the time I finished everything, I showered and immediately went to bed. Needless to say, I was exhausted. I went to sleep dreamlessly, which was a change for me. They were usually filled with memories of Jake and me, but it was strangely blank tonight.

Alice woke me up, as usual.

"Goooood morning Bella!" she chirped perkily. I squinted at her. Just because she didn't sleep at all didn't mean that I didn't need my sleep.

"Isn't it against the law to be so perky so early?" I grumbled, and she just giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"I've got an outfit picked out for you!" She trilled and set down a flowy halter lilac dress that ended a little bit above my knees, with black velvet swirling designs. It was gorgeous, of course, but a tad dressy for school.

"Isn't school supposed to be casual?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest. She laughed.

"Yes, but you should maybe try dressing up a tad! I mean, every girl should take pride in her appearance," she said, seriously nodding her head along with what she was saying. "Plus," she added, "I found the most spectacular pair of heels to go with it!" I groaned. Heels were not my strong suit. I got into the dress grudgingly, along with the matching lilac strappy kitten heels she had picked out. Alice curled my hair and did my makeup. As I looked into the mirror, I blinked at my appearance.

"Um…who's that?" I asked her. She rolled her eyes.

"You of course. Who else?" I looked closer into the mirror. Alice had braided little white flowers into my hair, and had made it somewhat curly. The eye makeup was stunning, although a bit otherworldly. I looked a bit like a forest nymph.

"Should I go frolic in the back yard?" I asked her, and she burst out laughing.

"No silly! I'm just looking for a more…playful feel from you! We're going to be trying out new looks ALL week on you!" she said, clapping her hands together. I groaned. It was going to be a long week.

I drove to school in my truck, and when I got out of it, people stared at me. They literally were looking straight at me. I rushed towards the school door urgently, my cheeks flaming red. Alice was never dressing me again.

Tyler Crowley strode up to me as soon as I reached Jess and Angela.

"Hey babe," he crooned. "You're looking mighty fine today," he said looking me up and down.

"Tyler. Not now, okay?" I said tightly, clutching my books to my chest. I really was not in the mood to be harassed. However he didn't take the hint.

"Oh come on Bells…I never did make it up to you for that whole accident thing. Whattaya say I make it up to you?" he leaned against a locker, a smug smile on his face. I turned and raised my eyebrow at him.

"Tyler. I really am not interested." Was he simply stupid? I mean, I don't think 'not now.' Implied 'I really want to talk to you!' However, he thought differently apparently.

"Bells, stop playing hard to get. I'm onto you." He said cockily. I spluttered, unable to even respond. Jess and Ange just looked on in fascination. Suddenly Edward Cullen came around the corner. His eyes widened at my appearance, and then narrowed at Tyler.

"Bella." He greeted me. "Any troubles here?" He said crossing his arms and flexing his muscles. Tyler appeared to be a tad nervous.

"No actually. Tyler was just leaving. Isn't that right?" I said perkily, a smug look going on my face.

"Oh yeah!" he said flustered. "Things to do, people to see! See ya later Bella!" he said, practically breaking into a run down the hallway.

"Toodle-loo!" I said mockingly. I turned to Edward. "Thanks. I think that he needs to get it through his skull that I'm not interested, and I'm kind of taken." Edward just nodded and walked off. I sighed, and went to class. I had a feeling it would be a long day today. Oh well. At least I'd get to see Jake at the end of the day. The thought alone cheered me up immensely. I hugged my books to my chest and strutted off to class.

The day went quickly. It didn't stop Tyler from looking at me of course, but it was at least easier to avoid him since one of the Cullens accompanied to me to class at all times. However, after Biology, I had to deal with Mike and Tyler. Tyler was making up another gym class, and both of them acted like they had never seen a girl before. We were playing Capture the Flag. They were constantly trying to impress me by attempting to get the flag, and I just shook my head and tried running across to retrieve the flag. I was instantaneously caught. I wasn't good at athletics. As soon as Gym ended, I sprinted to the locker room, changed, and sprinted to my truck.

I got to Jake's in ten minutes. I may have gone a bit over the speed limit, but I really didn't care. I missed my baby. I practically skipped up to the front door, and he opened it up. His jaw practically dropped.

"Bella?" he asked, in disbelief. I didn't answer; I just crushed my face to his chest. His arms were instantly around me, just holding me to him. "What's wrong baby?"

"I missed you." I murmured. "And guys are jerks." I looked up to him and he laughed. He kissed my forehead gently and then began stroking my hair.

"Not all of us are. What happened?" He said with good humor. I told him of what had happened with Tyler. "Do I need to talk to him?" Jake asked, more seriously this time.

"Nooo." I quickly said. "He's just being a jerk. Besides, the Cullens are looking out for me, so it should be fine. I'm just complaining." He laughed and nuzzled his chin into my hair.

"Well, the offer's always there if you need it beautiful. Did I mention that you look absolutely gorgeous today?" he asked me. A smile began to creep across my face. No one made me smile like Jake did.

"Thank you. It's for you." I said meekly. His smile got wider.

"Well, I do believe that I am the luckiest guy in the world then." I smiled and just snuggled next to him. We just watched TV for a while, not even paying attention, and kissing every few minutes or so. It was peaceful and lovely. Charlie and Billy came home soon enough, and we made dinner and happily ate together. I loved this part of the day, since I got to spend hours upon hours with Jake. Our two month anniversary was coming up, which made me very excited.

When I sadly had to say goodnight to him, I just rested in his arms longer than necessary for the hug, enjoying his scent and just loving the feeling of being in his arms. We kissed gently, and had to say goodbye. He whispered in my ear as I got ready to leave.

"I love you baby," he said huskily. "Forever and always." Goosebumps traveled up my arms. I loved it whenever he whispered that into my ear. It seemed like it just meant more when he did it that.

"Love you too." I whispered back, and I kissed him goodbye. I fell asleep much easier tonight, my dreams filled with sweet images of us together watching sunsets and relaxing by the bonfire.


	33. Waking Up in the Forest

Agh! Sorry to have such a long wait for an update! I'm busy busy busy! I think I can work on it during the day more, I just have to get more on schedule. I love you all though! Thank you for being so patient!

I awoke to see forest flying by me. I blinked, unsure if I was dreaming or not. I looked up and saw Edward carrying me, his eyes straight forward.

"Hello there." He said gently. "Sorry to have woken you, but we needed to get you out of there."

"Huh?" I asked, thoroughly confused. What on earth was going on?

"We smelled vampires." He said flatly. "They're in town now."

"Well duh." I said. "Since there are vampires in the town already, of course there'll be more."

"There are vampires here? And you knew?" Edward asked, in shock.

"Um Count Chocoula." I said. "Hate to break it to you, but you're not exactly Buffy here." He blinked.

"Oh." He said quietly. Silly vampire.

"So…where are we going again?" I asked, just beginning to wake up fully.

"My house. It's the safest." He said and he increased the speed of his running. The forest went faster, if possible. In mere moments we were at his house. Esme was already out to greet us.

"Bella dear!" she said cheerfully. "It's wonderful to see you again! I'm sorry that its under circumstances such as these though." I smiled

"Its fine" I shrugged. "I'm fine now." She nodded.

"Let's get you inside dear. Edward, what's our plan?" Esme asked. Edward swept me inside, with me still in his arms. I rolled my eyes. I really did not need to be carried everywhere like a little child. I was not a porcelain doll, no matter what everyone else thought.

"I was thinking that we'd call the Quileutes." He said, "And alert them about the problem. Bella would Jacob be awake this late?" For some reason, he said Jake's name a little tightly.

"Um…I think so…I don't think he'd mind though. He takes this kind of thing really seriously." Edward nodded.

"Here's a phone. If you wouldn't mind calling him?" he offered a phone out to me and I dialed Jake's number.

"Hello..?" a sleepy Jake answered the phone. I smiled. He sounded so cute on the phone when he was sleepy.

"Hey babe." I said. "I hate to wake you this late, but something's happened." Immediately, his voice sounded more alert.

"What's wrong?" He demanded. "Are you okay?" I quickly tried to calm him down.

"Nothing too major, the Cullens just say that the other vampires are apparently in town. So, I'm at their house right now." His response was instantaneous.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." He said flatly. "Love you baby, see you soon." He hung up and I just shook my head. He was a tad ridiculous, and I knew he'd go as fast as possible, and he'd probably be here in five minutes.

"He'll be here soon." I announced. Edward nodded and Esme just smiled.

"Okay sweetheart." Esme said with a smile. Suddenly Alice appeared. She looked me up and down.

"What. Are. You. Wearing?" She asked. I looked down at my blue flannel pajama bottoms and my black tank top.

"Um…pajamas?" I asked hesitantly. She shook her head.

"Absolutely not." She said, "You are changing now." I rolled my eyes.

"I swear Alice, I don't know how you are able to take a dangerous situation like vampires possibly attacking and use it as a chance for a makeover." She giggled.

"Come on! You gotta look cute for Jake!" She grabbed my hand and we bounded up the stairs. She finally fitted me in a red peasant blouse and some blue jeans and ballet flats. I had no clue how she had clothes that fit me in her own house. She probably saved them for occasions like this, knowing her.

I went downstairs, barely awake, and I saw Jake talking to Edward. Jake was nodding his head very tightly, and I barely saw Edward speak. I could sense the tension in the air.

"Jake!" I said, rushing down the remainder of the steps. He turned towards me, and swept me into his arms.

"Hey babe." He said, his arm around my waist. "You okay?" I nodded. I was fine, but then again I didn't really know the extent of whatever danger I was in. I looked to Edward, and I saw a flash of pain in his eyes. He quickly turned though.

"We've got to make a game plan." Edward said quickly. "Bella needs to be safe, since they're getting closer; whoever they are." Jake nodded.

"So what? Should we up security around the house?" Jake was still waking up, I could see how tired he was. Edward just looked on, and I could tell it took some effort for him not to roll his eyes.

"If that was the problem, we would have already fixed it." He said sarcastically. "Obviously, that's not enough if they're sniffing around. We need her to be in a place completely different from there, even if it's just a mile or two away. We need to confuse them."

"What about Charlie?" I interjected, worriedly. I couldn't let Charlie get hurt.

"There's a state conference for town leaders in the state of Washington this week." Jake said smoothly. "As sheriff of the town, Charlie always goes, as does my dad. He should be out of town for a week." I just glanced at Edward for confirmation. He smiled.

"That actually will work really well…" Edward said, thinking it over. "She could stay here while we investigate what's going on." If Jake was threatened by it at all, he hid his feelings about it really well.

"That sounds good. Now, do we tell Charlie or not?" Jake finished. They turned to me.

"Hm…well I suppose it would make things easier…I could tell him that me and Alice were bonding. And she wanted to make over her life sized Barbie doll." I heard a voice from the kitchen say 'Yes!' I just shook my head. "I'll tell him tomorrow then." They nodded.

"So she'll be staying here for the rest of the night?" Jake asked warily. "I've got to tell the others that the vampires are IN Forks officially now. So, I'd better get going, so we can have a meeting before school."

"Sounds good," Edward said. "We'll meet up tonight. Here sound okay?"

"Sounds fine." Jake said coolly. For some reason, the tension seemed to have increased. "Bells," Jake said, pulling me closer to him. "I'm going to have to go, but I'll see you later today, okay babe?" I smiled.

"Of course sweetie." I said, resting my head against his shoulder. "Until then." I reached on my tiptoes and kissed him gently. He kissed back and then kissed me on the forehead.

"I better go." He said to Edward, who was currently staring at the floor. "Thanks for letting me know about the vampires." Edward just nodded and Jake turned to me. "Love you baby." He said, giving my waist a final squeeze before going outside and transforming into wolf form. I watched him, and then suddenly I began to sway. I think I was more tired than I had thought. Edward caught me, and began to carry me up the stairs.

"You don't have to do this." I sleepily protested. "I'm fine." He just rolled his eyes.

"Right." We finally reached a room that I assumed was his, and he set me down on a long black leather chaise lounge. "Sorry that its not more." He apologized. "As you can guess, we don't really need beds." I nodded, my eyes already shut. I was already going off into my dreamland.

"Thanks." I murmured, and I had a vague sense of being in his room before I fell back into a sweet dreamland.


	34. Vampires, Werewolves, & New Girls Oh My!

Agh! So sorry I haven't updated in so long. I'm just really really busy, but I did try to make this one a bit longer than usual to make up for it. I'm going to try and write more often, I promise! Love love LOVE you guys!

Luckily for me, the morning that followed was to some degree, less hectic. I did have to get up earlier in order to be back in my bed before Charlie woke up. Edward carried me yet again, claiming that Alice was going to show up to pick me up.

"She gave me a list of what you have to wear." He said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes.

"Again?" He nodded, and tried to hide a smile. "Its not funny! I swear, she could stop a war because the uniforms weren't fashionable enough." He thought about that for a moment.

"You're probably right." He conceded. "It's just funny to see how see excited she is. I mean, its not every day that she gets to hang out with someone who doesn't have, you know, habits that involve munching on deer every other week." I rolled my eyes. He took the whole vampire thing way too lightly.

"I guess." I conceded, relaxing a bit more in his arms. I was becoming a bit more accustomed to being carried around I guess. It wasn't like I had any real choice in the matter. Edward carried me; Jake carried me…even though I protested that I was not, in fact, a porcelain doll. "So what's on the list?" I asked, curiously. Even though I thoroughly protested against being a Barbie doll, I was still interested as to what she wanted me to wear. He shook his head and laughed.

"You are ridiculous." He teased. "First you complain and then you ask? I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see." I pouted. That wasn't fair. Dang vampires. We finally arrived at my house, and he scaled a tree to bring me to my bedroom window. I breathlessly widened my eyes, in shock at how easily he glided from the ground to branch. If I hadn't known better, I would have said that he was a cat. He gently deposited me into my room. "There you go." He said, handing me the list of clothes Alice had planned for me to wear. I shifted nervously on my room.

"Thanks." I said, uncomfortably. He just stayed on the branch on the tree. "Can you um…like…go back to the house?" His eyes widened.

"Why would I do that? I should probably join Esme on surveillance." He said innocently. I looked at him.

"Right…." I said, crossing my arms.

"What?" he asked, "You don't think I would spy on you while you were changing, would you?" He asked a tad too dramatically, so I supposed that I had guessed his intentions right. Teenage boys. Vampires or not, they still were the same. I nodded. He rolled his eyes overdramatically. "Fine, I'll go." He said with an exasperated sigh. "Just call me if you need me." He dropped to the ground, and I called after him.

"Won't do!" He glanced back at me and gave me an annoyed look. I just smiled and waved back to him. I swiftly shut my window and locked it. Then, I closed the curtains firmly and tight. Just in case.

I got changed quickly into a white sundress that went with a jean jacket and of course, my black ballet flats. I glared at the curtains. I went downstairs, feigning sleepiness, in order to fool a possibly observant Charlie. I couldn't be too careful nowadays.

"Hey Dad," I said nonchalantly, plopping into the chair across from him. He looked up, holding his cup of coffee.

"Morning Bells. I hafta talk to you about something," he said "I've got to go to this state town leaders conference thing…and it's gonna take about a week. Billy's going too, otherwise I'd suggest staying at his place for the week. But I was wondering what you might think?" I pretended to think this over. I already knew the answer. Of course I would be staying at the Cullens. I would adore being able to spend more time with Jake and the tribe, but I knew that with Billy and Charlie out of town, that idea would not fly.

"Hmm…Maybe I should stay with Alice?" I suggested. His eyes widened and a smile went on his face. He loved Alice. He thought she was one of the most polite kids he'd ever met, and he just loved me and her spending time together. Almost as much as he loved me and Jake hanging out. I don't think Charlie could have been more proud of my choice in a boyfriend

"That sounds wonderful. But would her parents be fine with it?" he fretted. I loved Charlie. He was so silly sometimes.

"I'm sure," I soothed. "Remember. Alice is the queen of persuasion." He mulled that over for a second and then nodded.

"Alright." He said. "As long as it's okay with them, and if they call me by the end of the day saying it's okay. Otherwise, I'm not sure what we'll do." I nodded. It would be no problem. I was sure of it. I quickly ate breakfast and headed out to school. I drove the truck to school, without any sign of Edward. I took it as a good sign, since Charlie would have probably noticed Edward emerging from the trees. When I arrived at school, there was a big crowd of guys in the front of the building. Around them was a pile of girls. The girls were seething. The guys were drooling. I was confused.

I made my way to Jessica, who was past angry. I wouldn't have been surprised if she suddenly had steam pouring out of her ears.

"What's going on?" I asked, afraid to add anything to the already volatile volcano in front of me.

"New girl." She managed to get out. "The guys are acting like they've never seen a female before." I heard an airy voice.

"Oh you boys are so welcoming." I heard the presumable new girl purr. "However, I think I need to find a Bella Swan? She was assigned to help me around the school." I heard several collective groans. "Could you guys be ever so helpful and help me find her?" The new girl sweetly asked. I grimaced. Her voice was sweeter than caramelized cotton candy. The boys made their way to me, and showed her to me. My jaw dropped.

Her outfit was indefinitely inappropriate for school. She was wearing a black tube top with something that barely qualified as a white miniskirt along with black stilettos. Her long maple hair reached her waist, and she had dark eyes that were as black as pitch.

"There you are," she said almost condescendingly. "I was wondering where you had disappeared to me."

"Do I know you?" I asked, uncertain. She threw her head back and giggled. That's funny. I thought witches only cackled.

"Of course not." She said, looking me up and down. "I'm new. I'm Nicole Venus." She smiled and outstretched her hand to me. I gasped. When she smiled, I saw a quick flash of fangs. Or maybe it was just the light…still. I had to maintain a normal persona. I took her outstretched hand.

"Nice to meet you Nicole." I greeted her. She squeezed my hand so tight I had trouble actually getting circulation to it.

"You too, Bella." She said with a sneer. "Now, be a doll and show me where our first period is." I looked at her.

"Our first period?" She nodded.

"That's the reason I'm following you around all day. We have five classes a day together." I groaned. I had this possible vampiress in my class all day. Well, at least it would limit the numbers of possible enemies we had here in Forks. This was one. As we walked to first period, we escaped her many admirers. She turned to me in an almost deserted hallway.

"You know Bella, you should be more careful." She said, crossing her arms.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I hadn't really seen the Cullens yet today, but I had figured they were trying to come up with some kind of game plan before they did anything.

"I mean, you should watch your scent more carefully. This town reeks of you. Of you and the Cullens. And that wolfish scent. I haven't figured out what that is yet. But trust me." She said, bending down to my ear. "I will." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. This girl, whoever she was, was dangerous. I tried to get us out of there as soon as possible. I went through the next four periods with her, and soon enough, we reached lunch, where we didn't see each other for the rest of the day. I met up with Alice.

"Alice, I need to tell you something." I said frantically to her. She looked concerned.

"Bella, what's going on?" she asked.

"You know those vampires you guys have been looking out for? Well, I've met one. And she's in five of my classes." Alice's face dropped. I quickly filled her in. Her face grew tighter.

"This is worse than I saw in my vision." She murmured. Then we saw the rest of the Cullens approaching. Alice turned to me. "We need to tell Jacob directly after school. Do you have any objection with that?" I looked at her. Did I have an objection to talking to my amazing boyfriend? Um no. She got the message. When the other Cullens arrived, she filled them in, and we quickly stopped talking about it when Nicole Venus herself arrived in the lunchroom. Instantly our mouths slammed shut, and we didn't say a word for the rest of the period.

Edward and I went to Bio, as usual, and did a lab with less talk than normal. I think he was trying to figure out other possible candidates of vampires. The class ended and I went to gym, and I was amused as Mike and I played tennis. I of course, didn't hit a single ball. I did however, hit poor Mike. He shrugged it off, but I felt bad for the poor guy. I was not a good tennis partner.

As soon as class ended, I called my Jacob, and slightly filled him in on what had happened. I planned to pick him up in a half hour and we'd meet at the Cullens. Alice insisted on accompanying me in the truck to pick him up, and when we finally got to the Cullen house, Jake and all, we got settled and prepared to figure out what to do.


	35. Accidental Outbursts

I was sitting on the couch next to Jake, and he had his arm around me almost protectively. Alice and the other Cullens were seated around the table. Esme and Carlisle looked on Jake with a serene smile, as did most everyone else. Rosalie could have tried to hide her distaste a bit better.

"So what exactly happened today?" Esme asked, easing into the subject at hand. "You met another vampire?" I nodded my head.

"Her name is Nicole Venus. I thought at first maybe her fangs had been a trick of the light, but when she mentioned smelling you guys, and me, and a 'wolfish scent', I knew something was up." I said

"Let me get this straight," Edward said, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. "She smelled us? As in our scent?" I nodded yet again. He swore quietly under his breath.

"Edward." Esme chided. Rosalie snickered.  
"Sorry mom." Edward said, "What are we going to do though?" He asked, somewhat worried. "I mean, she obviously knows we're here. We have to strike before she does, in order to keep Bella safe." I pondered that.

"Well if she hasn't done anything just yet, we should just keep watch up." Jake said, "Obviously we're going to keep Bella safe, but we also don't want to draw unnecessary attention to her." I rested my head against his shoulder. It seemed safe enough.

"Just keep the watch up?" Edward said with disdain. "That's really your best solution? How is that supposed to keep her safe? The girl has admitted to knowing our presence. Who knows what she's planning on doing? We need to get her away from Bella." Jake's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I would think that a pack of werewolves and a coven of vampires could do the job." He said sarcastically. "Unless that is, you're afraid you won't be able to protect Bella?" Edward glared.

"Of course we'll do an adequate job of protecting her," he spit out. "I would just think it'd be in her best interest to take care of the problem before it becomes a bigger issue than it already is." The tension in the room was increasing with each syllable that came out of their mouths.

"Why don't we take the simple approach?" Jake shot back. "It's the easiest way, and it's the most practical." Edward snorted.

"The most practical? I've had decades more experience than you, and I can guarantee it is not the most practical." He crossed his arms. "And the easiest? The easiest way is not necessarily going to keep Bella safe. So I don't understand what you think you're doing, by possibly endangering her for the sake of simplicity." Jake began to shake. I looked on in horror

"Jake, calm down honey," I soothed him. He began shaking slightly less, but it was still there.

"I'm fine," he growled through his teeth. Edward looked upon him with a smug look.

"Obviously you're not. You better get a better control of your temper, or that's going to be a huge point for your enemies to get to." He said, as smug as ever.

"You trying to say something bloodsucker?" Said Jake angrily.

"Of course not dog." Edward said. "Just stating the obvious." Jake got up, shaking more violently than before. I looked to Emmett and Rosalie. Rose began to cautiously get up, and slightly in front of Edward. Emmett got slightly in front of Jake, and Alice and Esme went in front of me, to protect me from them I guess.

"Boys, calm down," Carlisle said, trying to soothe them. It wasn't working.

"I'm calm." Jake hissed through his teeth.

"Sure you are." Edward taunted. "You're as calm as a cat thrown into a bath of water."

"You would be too if some parasite was trying to take control of how to take care of the girl you loved." Jake said, his shaking getting more and more violent with each second. This was really not looking good.

"I'm not calm!" Edward spat, "You have no clue how hard it is to see her with someone as dangerous as you when I feel for her the way I do, never mind the approach you have on supposedly 'protecting' her! She needs to be protected and you seem almost incapable of doing the things necessary to keep her safe!" My jaw dropped.

"The way you feel for her?" Jake asked. "What way would that be?" He said, barely calm. Edward's tone turned icy.

"It's nothing you have to worry about. She loves you, doesn't she?" He said, glancing quickly to me, and then to the ground. "Keep your priorities where they belong. Keep them on her safety. Don't worry about me." Jake glared.

"Can I talk to you for a moment alone?" He said curtly to Edward. Edward nodded and they started going towards the door. I got up.

"Wait." I said, beginning to toddle after them. Jake turned to me.

"It's okay, Bells." He said, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "Nothing's going to happen, I promise. I just need to talk to him alone." I looked over Jake's shoulders to Edward. He put up his hands in front of him almost defensively.

"I promise I won't do anything," he swore. I looked at him and nodded.

"Be nice." I said, and they went on their way out the door. I sank down on the couch. Great. I had a vampiress possibly intent on doing something to hurt all that I cared about and I had a vampire and a werewolf discussing things about them liking me. That's always a great situation to be in. Alice gently sat next to me, as did Esme and Rose. Emmett, Carlisle and Jasper kept an eye on Jake and Edward's general direction. "Have you guys known about this all along?" I asked. They squirmed slightly.

"Well, we thought you had gotten a small idea of it," Alice said gently. "Since he was being such a jerk, and such a boy about it. But, I guess you didn't know the full extent of his feelings." I just shook my head.

"How long has he liked me?" I asked, dumbfounded. Had I really not noticed it? Was I really that dense? The answer was beginning to become blindingly obvious.

"Since the week he met you," Esme said softly. "He came home that first day, frantic that he might possibly hurt you because your blood appealed to him so strongly. Then, as the weeks went on, he couldn't stop talking about you. He got over the scent quickly once he started to fall for you. He took many necessary steps so he could just talk to you, never mind even being your friend." She gently rubbed my back. "I know that he was good at disguising it to you. But he really did care. And he still does." I hung my head and began rubbing my temples.

"Lovely." I groaned. "This day couldn't get better." Alice laughed gently.

"It's okay Bella. Edward will get over it. It just may take some time. You've got to remember, you're the first girl he's met that actually knows about his world, and that he's actually found himself interested in." Alice said. Rosalie spoke up quietly.

"You know, that may be it." She said.

"Huh?" I asked. Rose continued.

"You're the first girl who's known about our secret, and that he's interested by. Think about it, he can read everybody's mind, except for yours. It's the impossible mystery that he can't crack, and to top it off, you know what's going on in his world. If he found someone like that, he'd probably get interested in her. No offense to you," she said quickly, "but I would think that it'd be helpful to get this problem fixed as soon as possible. Just thinking out loud." Esme tapped her foot thoughtfully.

"That's a good point, Rose. We are some of the only women he knows, and if he found someone else who intrigued him as much as Bella, maybe he'd be interested in her!" Esme was enthusiastic. I think she liked Jake, but obviously loved her son and wanted him to be happy above all else. I rested my head against the couch cushion. It was going to be a long day. That much I could tell. They continued to try and comfort me while Jake and Edward talked outside. I was beginning to worry; they had been our there for at least 15 minutes. Finally, they came back inside. Edward looked gray and dismal, and Jake looked angry and tired. Edward came over to me.

"Bella, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I overreacted in the heat of the moment, and I'm sorry for any unnecessary stress it may have caused you. I know you're under pressure, and I truly didn't mean it. I just overreacted a bit." He said. I nodded. I didn't believe a word of it, but if he was going to tell me this, I guess I'd just go along with it. "Do you forgive me?" he asked apologetically.

"It's fine." I said gently. "I know you didn't mean it." Jake came over to me and put his arm around my waist protectively. I had a feeling I wouldn't be leaving his side for the rest of the night. Not that that was a problem for me, but I did feel bad for Edward. This was going to be a long night, and it hadn't even started yet.


	36. Girls' Night In

Edward left the room for the rest of the night for the rest of the Cullens and Jake to collaborate. I think he had had enough socializing for one night. I didn't blame him; I mean if you told the person you liked that you liked them while they were going out with someone, it was due to get a tad confusing and embarrassing.

I just stayed by Jake's side the entire night, and finally they figured out some kind of solution. They were going to go by Jake's original idea, and just observe Nicole. After all, they figured, she couldn't do too much damage in broad daylight. It just wasn't reasonable. I wasn't as convinced, but I figured they knew more about this than I so I just went with the flow.

Finally came the time for Jake to go. I walked to my truck with him and Alice. Alice was refusing to let me drive back on my own, so she insisted on going along with us. She was kind of a third wheel, but she didn't leave any gaps in the conversation. Personally, I kind of wanted to talk to Jake about what had happened, but I'd find some chance to.

We reached his house, and I walked out of the car with him. We walked up to his front step, and I was immediately encased in his arms.

"Love you Bells," he said roughly, and soon, his lips were on mine. I kissed back eagerly. I wished that the time I spent with him wasn't under the constant surveillance of the Cullens, but I knew it was for my best interest. Still, it was a bit awkward to kiss my werewolf boyfriend anywhere near my vampire friends. I rested in his arms for a while after the kiss ended.

"I love you too Jake," I whispered, and he kissed the top of my head.

"I know, baby. Don't worry; we'll work this all out. That girl will leave you alone; I'll make sure of it." He pulled me tighter as he said it, and I relaxed in his arms. I was so lucky to have him. We embraced for a few more seconds before I let him go.

"You should probably go," I said, stroking his hair gently "You've got to get some sleep." He smiled.

"Silly Bella, I'll be fine either way. It's you that probably needs the sleep. I can't imagine that you've been sleeping well these past few nights." I shrugged. I'd been doing fine, knowing that I had the Cullens and/or Jake out there watching out for me. He gave me one last kiss, and I nuzzled into his chest before I went back to the truck. Alice was waiting patiently.

As I started the truck, Alice began chatting, as usual.

"So, are things gonna be awkward between you and Edward?" she asked, inspecting her fingernails. I thought it over.

"Probably not," I responded, "I mean, it's not like I like him back, and I'm sure he'll get over it, right?" She sighed

"It's not that simple for him. I don't think you realize that you're literally, the first girl he's ever liked in this sense. It's not going to be simple for him to let go. But, maybe we can work on that during this week. I don't know how deep his feelings are, but obviously it's something if he wrote that song for you." I looked at her stupidly.

"What song?" I asked. She sighed.

"'For Her'? He played it when you came over for dinner," she explained. My jaw dropped.

"That was for me?" I asked, confused beyond belief. Wow, I was even denser than I thought. She nodded, exasperatedly. "Well what are we going to do about it?" I asked. She shrugged.

"We'll deal with it somehow. It'll all work out in time, we'll just have to be patient," Alice concluded. The rest of the ride went quickly, and before I knew it, we were back at the Cullens'. Alice and I went up the stairs to the guest room they kept. I opened the door and saw Esme and Rose waiting. There were big recliners and a couch and of course, a bed in the guest room. There was also an impressive stereo system and a large TV. I was surprised to see Esme and Rose in the room with a few slices of pizza waiting on a coffee table along with a salad.

"Welcome dear!" Esme said, "We figured we'd have a girl's night in, and just chat. Right Rose?" Rose nodded,

"Yeah, I mean we don't do this all that often, so why not?" Rose said almost cheerfully. Alice and I made ourselves comfortable, and we chatted as I ate pizza and salad, and we listened to music. They all had a marvelous time fixing up my hair to a ridiculously high hairdo, and they also had fun dressing me up. I was a Barbie doll, plain and simple while I was in this house. I let them have their fun of course; not that I was really in a position to argue, since they were about a hundred times stronger than I…

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Alice shouted cheerfully. They had just gotten me into a violet floor length strapless gown, and had put my hair in a complicated updo. I was apparently Formal Barbie at the moment. The door opened slowly, and Edward walked in. His eyes widened at my appearance.

"Say a word, and I will kill you." I hissed. "I am not afraid to go down to the grocery store and get garlic." He rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh.

"Rose, Emmett's bugging Jazz and me to hang with you." He said to Rosalie. She fluffed her hair and tossed it.

"Thanks for the memo Edwardo. See ya later Bella!" she said, waving to all of us, and going down the stairs to see Emmett. Edward looked at Esme, and Alice and I awkwardly.

"Well, I better be going," he said, shuffling his feet. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," he said, nodding his head at me. "Night." He left quietly and Esme sighed.

"Poor dear," she said, "He just doesn't know what to do. It'll work out though," she said optimistically. "It just has to." I nodded, and then yawned suddenly. "Oh dear, you should get some rest! It's been such a long day," Esme fretted. She shooed me out of the violet dress and into some comfortable pajamas, and then she and Alice said goodnight and left me to sleep.

That night, I felt as if I was being held tight; although I guess that just attributed to being in a strange house. My dreams had Jake and all the Cullens creeping in and out of it. I slept until the first rays of dawn began to come through the window. I stretched and soaked up a little of the morning sun that peeked through the clouds, I realized something. Today was Jake and I's two month anniversary. Hopefully we'd actually be able to do something together, without being under the watchful eye of the Cullens. I sighed and let my feet touch the floor. Alice must have heard the sound, because she was there within seconds. Another day of being Bella the Barbie. Lovely.


	37. Vampire Secret Service

Hey you all! I know that this kind of ends at a place where it should continue (but not so much that it's a cliffhanger). Don't worry, you guys WILL get an update later this week, I promise! I plan on writing it on my birthday later this week, which will coincidentally, is the day after Jake and Bella's one month anniversary. Yes, on my birthday, I plan on giving you guys a present of an extra chapter. (See how much I love you guys? xD) LalalalaLOVE you all!

Alice surveyed me from the doorway.

"Your hair is atrocious." She remarked, a hand under her chin. I put a hand to my hair to try and feel the general shape it was in. It was still somewhat in shape from last night's game of dress-up, so it was piled atop my head, but messy all the same.

"I can't imagine why," I commented sarcastically. "It's not like these vampires decided to play beauty shop on me or anything." She ignored me, as usual.

"Take a shower," she said, thrusting hair products at me, "and use these!" she said cheerfully. I rolled my eyes and went off towards the bathroom. I passed Edward's room on the way, and I saw his eyes widen at the state of my hair.

"Not a word." I muttered. "I swear to god, I will get a stake." A chuckle came out of his room, and I trudged until I finally reached my destination. I got into the bathroom, and shut and locked the door behind me. I took my shower, and the hair products that Alice had given me miraculously untangled my crazy hair. I slipped into a robe that had been hanging from the bathroom hook when I got out of the shower, and made my way back to the room in my new warm, fluffy, but obnoxiously pink robe. I flopped on my bed. I saw that there was already an outfit laying out for me to put on.

I groaned. I missed my old wardrobe. The days of picking out my own clothing seemed so very far away. I put on a black mid thigh length skirt along with a green flowy top. I was relieved to see my black ballet flats instead of some ridiculous pair of stiletto heels. With Alice, who knew when my dear ballet flats would disappear? As soon as I finished changing, Alice burst into the room, hair tools in hand. I sat down with a sigh, and let her transform my wet limp hair into curls and waves that flowed and bounced. She quickly did my make-up, and then led me downstairs to have breakfast.

Esme appeared to have created every possible breakfast dish known to man, and then some. I just settled for a few strips of bacon, along with a few slices of cinnamon raisin toast with a glass of milk. I had a nice chat with her, before we all rushed off to school. Edward, Alice, and I all rode together in Edward's Volvo. Alice kept the conversation up the entire ride, but I noticed that Edward rarely, if ever, contributed to the conversation.

As we pulled into the lot, Edward finally made a statement.

"I'm going out to see if that Nicole girl is here." He said. "Alice, stay next to Bella at all times. Make sure nothing happens to her." Alice nodded, and Edward got out of the car, quietly surveying the parking lot. It didn't take long to locate her though, since she had an entourage of boys constantly following her. Alice and I got out of the car together, with Edward keeping an eye on Nicole and simultaneously following us for extra protection. We got to the inside of the school quickly. Now all there was to wait for was for my chain of periods with her to end. As she got closer to the school, Edward and Alice observed more things about her.

"She has an extraordinary effect on those boys." Alice remarked. "More than any mature vampire would."

"She must be fairly new then." Edward mused. "Obviously her thirst is somewhat satiated if she can keep such a strong control on her thirst, but still have that strong of an effect. The potency of her looks hasn't faded that much just yet. Now, the trick is, how do we use that to our advantage?" Alice rolled her eyes.

"Dear brother, we're not quite ready to prosecute her for suspicion. She hasn't done anything yet," Alice reminded him. His eyes narrowed.

"Why take chances?" Edward asked. "There shouldn't be room for anything to happen." He said almost possessively. Alice quickly jumped in.

"Edward, calm down." She soothed. "Let's find out more about her before we jump to any major conclusions, okay?" He nodded tightly. The bell for first period rang. I groaned and grudgingly went off to class. I could feel Edward's and Alice's eyes watching me as I went down the hall. When I arrived in class, Nicole smiled wickedly at me.

"Hello, Bella." She said, boring her dark eyes into mine. I tried to not show that I was intimidated.

"Nicole." I said, forcing a nod out towards her. She sniffed the air.

"That scent…it smells more strongly of vampires today. Male in particular." She mused. I thought about that for a second. There were more guy Cullens than there were girls, so that made sense. "Are you someone's property?" She asked, smiling with her teeth. "Marked territory perhaps?" She said, exposing her fangs. I turned my head towards the board, silently willing the teacher to start the lesson, and to get this girl to leave me alone. Luckily, the teacher seemed to sense my fear, and quickly launched the lesson into play. I spent the period slowly moving my chair as far from her as possible.

The next three classes were more or less the same. She tried to get closer, and I tried to get as far as possible from her. When lunch came, the Cullens and I ate in silence again. Finally, Edward and I got to Biology, which was our haven for the time being. I relaxed more, and Mr. Banner had us work together for a lab with cells. Edward cracked a few jokes, which took off some of the tension of my stressful day. When Biology ended, Edward walked with me to Gym.

Luckily, we were playing badminton, and I was able to hit the birdie over the net without fatally injuring anyone. I may have bruised Mike's head, and caused him to lose a few brain cells, but I figured he'd be okay. I apologized compulsively, as usual, and he just laughed it off. When I got out of Gym, Alice and Edward were immediately with me and walking to the car. When we got in the Volvo, we were finally able to talk.

"I've got vampire secret service!" I joked. Alice giggled, and Edward just rolled his eyes.

"Bad joke Bella." He commented. I ignored him.

"I'm not batty, I swear!" I said, laughing at how horrible my own joke was. Alice and Edward just shook their heads. Then I realized for the second time today that today was Jake and I's two month anniversary. "Alice, can I borrow your phone?" I asked. She handed it to me.

"Sure, but why?" she asked.

"It's Jake and I's two month anniversary. We've got to do something." I said, dialing the numbers that would cause me to hear my baby's voice. Alice shut the phone gently.

"Bella, you can't leave the house." She said gently. "It's just too dangerous. We can't keep constant surveillance on you if you go to La Push, and even though the Quileutes know a great deal about vampires, a lot of the werewolves don't know how to protect a human from them." My face dropped. I wouldn't get to celebrate my anniversary with Jake? Alice saw my expression. "I'm sorry Bella," she said sincerely. "It's fine to call him, but you really should stay at the house where we can watch you." I nodded and redialed Jake's number. No one picked up at the house, and I left a message for Jake. As I hung up the phone, we arrived in the driveway. I trudged up to the front step, and Alice and Edward opened the door and let me inside. My jaw dropped as I saw Jake standing in front of a candlelit table, holding a single red rose.

"Hey Bells," he said sweetly, looking adoringly at me. I dropped my stuff and ran to him, and enveloped myself in his arms. I breathed in his scent, and he immediately held me tighter. "Happy two month" he whispered.

"Is that all it's been?" I whispered back. "It seems like forever." I smiled, loving him more than ever in this one moment. It was peaceful and left us in our own world, away from all the craziness that had been around lately.

It was wonderful.


	38. I Will Always Be Yours

Alright, this is DEFINITELY a short one, but it's fluffy just the same. Since this is just little bit of an extra chapter (remember, my birthday present to you all), it doesn't have to do with any plot twists. Just some sweet stuff that I wanted to get in. :)

We stayed in each other's arms for a few more fleeting moments before Edward coughed semi loudly. Jake shot him a look. Edward paid no mind of course. Alice shooed Edward away, and he shuffled off in the direction of his room.

"I'll get dinner!" Alice exclaimed, hopping towards the kitchen. I just looked up at Jake and he stroked my hair.

"How was your day, sweetie?" He whispered, looking down into my eyes. I sighed and snuggled closer to him.

"It was good," I said. "A tad stressful because of that vampire girl, but good overall." His eyes slightly narrowed at the mention of Nicole, but he relaxed quickly enough.

"That's good," he whispered huskily. He gently kissed me, and I kissed him back a bit harder. The kisses were slow and meaningful; long and tender. I found myself enjoying it, and realizing just how much I missed him each day. We didn't get to do this very often; not under the surveillance of Charlie and Billy, anyways. We kept going, and were getting more and more into it.

"Ahem." We heard a quiet smug voice say. I turned around, and there was Edward, annoyingly standing in the doorway.

"Hello." Jake said snidely. Edward nodded his head.

"Oh was I interrupting something?" He asked, blinking a tad too innocently. Jake's glare increased.

"Edward!" Esme's voice called. "Can I talk to you for a second?" Edward looked at us, nodded his head yet again, and disappeared. I looked at Jake. Typical Edward. However, the rest of the night went quite smoothly.

Edward had appeared to have disappeared after his talk with Esme, and soon after, Alice brought the dinner out. Jake and I had a romantic meaningful dinner by candlelight, and of course, we dined next to each other. We didn't exchange presents; since neither of us had been able to get anything in the increasingly hectic past few days, but we figured we would at some point in time.

He ended the night by gently kissing me on the forehead.

"I will always be yours," He said lovingly, and he wrapped me into his arms. I immediately surged forward, eager to be in his arms for as long as possible before he had to go.

"I love you." I murmured.

"And I love you," he replied simply, as if that was the only answer possible.

We kissed goodnight, and he quickly disappeared in the forest, after leaving a strong howl that resonated with love and courage. How fitting it was, just for my Jacob.

I finished what little homework I had, and then quickly took a shower. I stole to my bed, and dreamt sweet dreams about the day Jake and I had had. I still felt as if I had arms around me, but it was a comforting feeling, and when the morning came, I missed the sense of security I had had.


	39. The Main Course

I am SO sorry about the wait this week! I was ridiculously tired practically everyday, and I just kept procrastinating! That's why I'm going to try and update more often this week (and write longer chapters this week too. This is the first chapter that's long for this week!) The next update should hopefully be Tuesday. I love you guys so much!

I awoke the next morning and as soon as I looked into the mirror, I groaned. My hair was crazily piled atop my head, and there were random bits poking out everywhere. As soon as my feet touched the ground, Alice was in my doorway, surveying the damage of my hair. She sent me to the shower, as usual, and I used the magical hair products to untangle the massive jumble of tangles I apparently had acquired overnight. I didn't understand why my hair was getting this ridiculously tangled. I mean, it wasn't this tangled back at Charlie's. Hopefully it was just because I subconsciously wasn't accustomed to sleeping in a houseful of vampires.

When I emerged from the bathroom, an outfit was laid out for me atop my bed. I just shook my head at it. There was a long sleeved scarlet dress with a V-neck. I put it on and it flowed down to just above my knees. There was a cute pair of matching red ballet flats to go with it, and as soon as I finished dressing, Alice came in to help me get ready for the school day.

"So how'd it go with Jake last night?" she asked nonchalantly. "Sorry that Edward appeared out of nowhere; he has an uncanny ability to pop in at peoples' most intimate moments." I rolled my eyes. Uncanny ability? More like super vampire hearing. She began to curl my hair as she awaited my answer.

"It went really well," I said, smiling at the memory. "I really appreciate that you guys let us spend time together. Thank you for that." She just smiled and continued curling my hair.

"Of course Bella. What are friends for?" She said. I laughed.

"Friends? More like sisters, Alice. I mean, you constantly are dressing me up and making me over. And we're constantly talking about stuff, and we spend so many hours together. Not to mention the fact that I'm living in your house." As she released a piece of hair from the curling iron, I saw her smile.

"Sisters it is then." She said happily, and continued to curl my hair. We kept chatting about my dinner with Jake and when she finished my hair, she moved onto my makeup. As soon as she finished, I looked at the clock that was on the little table next to my bed.

"Shoot Alice! We're going to be late!" I grabbed my stuff and began to run down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps was Alice, inspecting her flawless nails. Stupid vampire powers.

"In case you've forgotten," she said with a smirk, "Edward practically drives at the speed of light." I crossed my arms. I had in fact forgotten.

"I knew that." I said, walking by her. "I just…wanted to be early."

"And see Nicole?" Alice called after me. I froze.

"Good point." I conceded. She just shook her head and laughed at me. It was good to know that I was a source of humor. Edward came loping down the stairs and we all went to school. I sighed. I just had a few classes with Nicole, and then I was good for the rest of the day. I got out of the car, followed by Edward and Alice, and we walked together to the school. When the inevitable bell tolled, I made my way to my first class, and then to my seat; where Nicole was waiting.

"Hello," she crooned, a malicious grin on her face. She sniffed the air. "Hmm, a more strong…wolfish scent today. Hanging out in the forest are we?" I just stared straight at the blackboard. "Awh, you're not talkative today?" She whined. "Well that's no fun. I mean, I always like to play with my food before I actually have any means of actually getting it." She looked at me, her eyes boring into the side of my face. I tried not to express any emotion. Chills were running through my blood, at her previous comment. That's when the teacher decided to actually start the class. I could feel her eyes fixated on my face for the entire class, and when the class finally ended I ran to my next class, even though she was still in it.

I avoided her as much as possible, but her observant eye was constantly watching me. The Cullens and I continued to have a silent lunch, and the only time I actually could speak even somewhat freely was when I went to Biology with Edward. I quickly told him what Nicole had said to me, and his eyes widened slightly.

"We need to do something about her." He remarked stoically. I just nodded. "Don't worry," he said, "I'll talk to everyone about it. In the meantime, you just go on being a potential main course." He said the last part jokingly and I rolled my eyes. He decided to tell a few more well-placed jokes to relieve tension, and surprisingly, it worked. We joked the period away and when the bell rang, I was ready to go to Gym. We were playing baseball, much to my despair.

I somehow managed to hit Mike in the head after hitting the ball with the bat. I apologized profusely, and Mike made a crack about him being a prime candidate for a crash dummy. I tried not to laugh, because it honestly was kind of true. When Gym finally ended, I changed and when I got outside, Alice and Rosalie were waiting for me.

"We're kidnapping you." Rosalie announced, a cheery smile upon her face.

"Yup!" Alice chimed in, "and there's nothing you can do about it!" The each took an arm of mine, and we strode towards Rosalie's BMW. I sighed. Barbie Bella yet again. We went to Port Angeles, and got inside the mall. They went ballistic. They dressed me up, dressed me down, and acted as if I was their own personal Barbie doll, as usual. Of course, they tried on some things too, but I was the main focus of the day, apparently. They ended up buying me a mountain of clothes, which I pleaded against, but of course, the human has no say. I just shook my head, and they laughed.

While we were there, however, I took some time to go and buy Jake a present for our two-month anniversary, since we hadn't really had the chance to exchange gift. I chose to get him a bracelet made of leather, which had a small wolf charm on the front. It fit his style, especially because we constantly exchanged gifts with wolves on it. Our little inside joke, I guess. I also had Rose stop on the way home so I could buy passes for 2 mini golf games at the place Jake and I had first hung out. That'd be my other present to him. We finally got home, and I went up to my room after saying hello to Esme. I flopped on my bed and got the phone to call Jake. I dialed his number quickly, and soon enough, his warm voice was flooding into my ear.

"Hello?" he asked. Obviously he hadn't checked the caller i. d. . That, or I had woken him up.

"Hey baby," I chirped. "How are you doing?" I could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm fine," he said, chuckling gently. "What about you?" I think I had woken him up, because he still sounded a tad sleepy.

"I'm good. I got your present today!" I said cheerily. He laughed gently.

"Oh? And what would that be?" he said, teasing me.

"Ha! Like I'm going to tell you! You'll have to come and get it if you want it." I said smugly.

"Fine, I will." He said. "I already made your present, so I'll come over later tonight?" My heart leapt slightly. I couldn't wait to see him.

"I think that sounds like a plan," I said, an infectious smile already plastered on my face. I'd get to see my Jacob again. Hallelujah. I missed his warm presence so much. The Cullens were like family to me, and I was more than grateful that they were helping me so much, but they just weren't my Jacob.

"Great," he said, lightly chuckling, "I'll be over in about a half hour, honey. I'll see you then. I love you."

"Love you too!" I replied, and then we hung up.


	40. Match

Just a note; fluffy? Oh goodness yes. I found this amazing song on Youtube…and well, it influenced me, and I wrote a poem, and I've been listening to it nonstop while writing this chapter…kind of short, but majorly fluffy. Enjoy! (And if you all are interested as to what song it is, it's called Hello (My Beautiful) by Vic Mognogna)

I wrapped my Jacob's presents for the half hour of his arrival time. I didn't do anything fancy, I just wrapped the bracelet gently in hunter green tissue paper and put it in a small brown bag, and stuck the two tickets in the bag. What really took me a majority of the thirty minutes was just readjusting the bracelet and tickets to be inside the bag just perfectly. I laughed at my indecisiveness in fixing the bag, because I'd choose one way to present it, and then totally change it a moment later. When the doorbell rang, I practically skipped down to the door, presents in hand.

I opened the door to see my baby, standing tall and dreamily. He gazed into my eyes, and I was instantly in his arms.

"Hey sweetie," he whispered, and I nuzzled up to him, inadvertently squishing the present. At this point, I didn't really care. Nothing compared to being in my baby's arms. He stroked my hair, and I just stood there in the doorway with him for a few precious moments and breathed in his familiar scent.

"I've got your present," I murmured into his jacket.

"Hmm?" he breathed, "and what would that be? I've already got the most amazing thing in my arms." I smiled into his jacket. He always knew just the right thing to say that made my day that much better.

"Let's go into the living room," I said, grudgingly pulling away from his arms. I took his hand, and we made our way into the living room. We sat on the loveseat, and I could somewhat hear the rest of the Cullens moving about the house. They tried to make more noise when I was around, I supposed; just to make things more natural for me. I gave Jake his gift, and he just looked at it with a smirk.

"You know, you really didn't have to get me anything," he said. I looked at him.

"Well what would I have done when you gave me my gift?" I asked teasingly. He rolled his eyes.

"You'd accept it and say thank you," he said, putting an arm around my waist. "Because I don't need anything other than the fact that you're mine." My smile increased slightly.

"That's so sweet," I said, "But I think you deserve something else too, baby. Come on, open it," I urged. He laughed.

"So impatient! Alright, I'll open it." He came across the bracelet wrapped in tissue paper first. He undid the paper around it, and finally came to the core of the present; the bracelet. His eyes widened slightly. "Bells, this is…wonderful. Thank you so much."

"There's more," I said, a smirk appearing on my face. "You gotta search for it though." His brow burrowed in confusion, and he continued to dig through the tiny bag until he found the tickets at the bottom of the bag. He burst out laughing when he came upon them.

"Oh my…" he said, between laughs. I had joined in, just because his laughter was so contagious. "Thank you sweetheart, we'll be sure to do this soon." He kissed me on the forehead. I glowed. "Now open your gift," He put a small red velvet heart shaped pouch that was buttoned shut into my hands. I was confused. The pouch obviously had something inside of it, but it was surprisingly heavy. I lifted it, and it made a slight smooth ringing noise. I looked at him in confusion. "Just open it," he said, somewhat embarrassed. I undid the button and took out what was inside. It was a small silver heart-shaped bell with I Love You engraved in the surface. It was exquisitely beautiful and meaningful to me.

"Thank you," I said, throwing my arms around him. He smiled.

"I had hoped your reaction would be something like that. I got you a second gift too," he teased. "You're not the only one to get two gifts little missy." He stuck his tongue out at me jokingly and I smiled and just shook my head at him. He pulled out yet another little package and put it into my hands. This one was box-shaped, and opened by hinges. I opened it curiously. In it rested a ring that had a one wolf on each side of a heart shaped dark blue stone. It was set in silver and was simply beautiful.

"Jake," I gasped. "This is too much," he shushed me.

"I just wanted to give you a little piece of me to be with you always. I know I had already given you the necklace, but this is something that people might notice more." My hand immediately went to my necklace. I wore the one he gave me practically every day. It rarely left my neck.

"Thank you," I whispered, and slipped the ring onto my finger. A perfect fit, of course. He smiled as it was on my finger.

"That looks much better," he said knowingly. "I think it'll look better once it has its match next to it though." He pulled a ring out of his pocket and slipped it onto his right ring finger, just as I had done. His ring was more thick, and lacked the blue stone, but it had engravings of the wolves with little circle blue stones decorating around the wolves' heads. "See?" he whispered, "We match." I smiled, and bent my head, and leaned in for a perfect kiss from him. Luckily, he gave it to me.


	41. Don't Worry, I Don't Bite

Urgh, so sorry that I didn't update for a while guys! I'm busy busy busy, but I'll try to write more this week, I promise! Love you guys, as usual!

The rest of the evening went ridiculously fast. They say that time flies when you're having fun, but when you're having the time of your life, it doesn't just fly; it evaporates. We said goodbye quietly and thoughtfully with a few lovely kisses thrown in. As we parted, I rested in his arms and breathed in his scent, as per usual and then said goodbye.

I went to bed after my shower with an almost sense of innate serenity. I had had a wonderful day, and tomorrow would be the last day of the week that I'd have to see Nicole. Well, at least until after the weekend. Still, I'd take what I could get. I went into my room, and shut the door like always. I went to bed and snuggled beneath the covers, wrapping them around myself. I felt myself quickly drifting to sleep, and felt secure and safe, feeling arms around me, as usual. I awoke earlier than usual in the morning, and I sat up in my bed, and rubbed my eyes and looked around the room until I saw something peculiar. My door was open.

I shook my head, uncertain as to why it was open, seeing as I closed it every night, and I had been positive that I had shut it. The Cullens never disturbed me at night, besides Alice's intrusions in the mornings to ready me for the schoolday. But she was nowhere to be seen; which was odd for her. I heard slight noise coming from downstairs, and I crept as silently as possible from my room. I could hear the voice of Esme and Carlisle slightly scolding someone, but as I strained to listen, I crept further down the hall. I hit a creaky floorboard and winced.

The only reason that they must have not heard me moving was probably just because they were caught up in whatever they were discussing. However, even if that had been overlooked, a squeak was not likely to be. However, the speaking from downstairs didn't seem to have stopped at all, so I relaxed slightly. Alice's door opened, and I saw her standing in the doorway, with her arms folded. She ran over to me silently, avoiding the cursed floorboard. She motioned to go back into my room with her. When we got inside and shut the door, I tried to speak, but she merely put a finger to her lips, and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began writing on it on my night table.

'_Eavesdropping isn't a nice habit for young ladies to have.' _She wrote with a smirk, offering the pen to me.

'_Oh please.' _I wrote. _'Like you or I abide to that rule. What are they talking about?'_ She hesitated and bit her lip and grudgingly took the pen from me.

'_Something that he did'_ I rolled my eyes.

'_I gathered. Anything in particular?'_ I wrote sarcastically. She hesitated yet again.

'_Mom and Dad caught him doing something and they're reprimanding him about it. Don't worry.' _She wrote, trying to close the subject without telling me exactly what was going on. That didn't work so well for me. I sent her a look and crossed my arms. She sighed. _'Don't worry about it, seriously.' _She wrote. _'Its fine.'_ I rolled my eyes but let it drop. If she was going to tell me, she would have already. As we finished writing, she then took the paper, and crumpled it up into a ball and threw it into small glass bowl in my room. She tossed a lit match in the glass bowl and let the paper burn. Obviously there was more going on than I was supposed to know. I sighed, and as the paper slowly burned to ashes, Alice began picking out my clothes.

In the end, I was wearing pink. Yes, that's right, pink. I wore a baby pink blouse with flouncy short sleeves and long blue jeans and baby pink ballet flats. I doubted that there was ever a time where I had felt more like a Barbie than right now. If that wasn't enough, she did my hair to a cute slightly pulled up hairdo that still had a lot of my hair down, and did my makeup. I grimaced. It was so…pink. She laughed as I complained and when we finally finished, we went to school with Edward driving in silence. Alice chattered the ride away as usual, but I noted there was a tone of uncomfortableness in the air.

When we arrived, we shuffled into the school and chatted normally until the bell rang for the first class. This morning, Edward decided to walk me to class, where Nicole awaited. I groaned at the thought of going to class.

"Ugh, I just don't want to deal with her today," I complained to Edward as we walked to first period. He laughed softly. "It's not funny" I whined, "She's annoying." His laughter grew louder.

"If you hate it that much, why don't you skip school for today?" he asked gently. I scoffed.

"And do what?" I asked, "Go play in Forks unprotected?" He rolled his eyes.

"We could go driving or something. I'm sure missing a day of Biology won't be the end of the world." I stopped in the hall.

"Seriously?" I asked. "You wouldn't mind?" He gave me a sarcastic glance.

"It's not like I haven't learned it all before," He reminded me. "Plus, if I minded, would I be offering?" I thought about that for a second.

"Okay," I said. "Let's do it then. Besides, it's Friday. We're due for a day off." He nodded and laughed. We turned around and went straight to the Volvo. As we drove out of the school parking lot, he randomly went on the highway.

"So. Where to?" He asked, turning to me, his eyes completely off of the road. It was still a bit scary for me to be in the same car as someone who didn't need to see in order to drive.

"Well, you know this place better than I," I said truthfully. "So it's up to you I guess." He nodded.

"Let's see where we feel like going." As it turned out, we felt like going to the movie theater in Port Angeles. We grabbed tickets for the newest horror flick, not really caring what it was about. As we took our seats in the empty theater, the movie started. The first scene? A vampire lunging for his newest victim, which just happened to be a pretty blond girl. I turned to Edward and laughed.

"I don't bite, I swear." He whispered, and I laughed. The movie was horrible. We spent most of it making fun of the characters and just making fun of the plotline in general. As we got out of the movie, I was in tears because I was laughing so hard. Edward kept making jokes that were accurate and blindingly funny. He actually had to help me stand up because I was laughing so hard that I couldn't stand up properly. As we made our way into the Volvo, he and I stopped chortling long enough to decide on our next destination.

"Where to next?" He asked.

"How about some food?" I asked. I was slightly hungry, after that ridiculous feat of a movie.

"Excellent idea," he said, starting the car. "I know just the place." He backed out of his parking space and we began to drive off again. We ended up at a little Italian restaurant called La Bella Italia. It looked small and cozy, which was perfect. I wasn't in the mood for any over the top food, but I wasn't exactly in the mood for fast food either. We walked in, and were quickly seated.


	42. Vampires Play Hooky Too

Okay, I am SO sorry that I have been MIA. This last week has been CAH-RAZY busy, as I'm sure you can guess. (I got to see New Moon early on Wednesday for a special screening at my local theater, plus I got really wrapped up in this chapter…) And don't worry, to make up not having a new chapter for like, 2 weeks, I'm writing another chapter and I promise I'll update tonight again! Love love LOVE you guys!!

As we sat in the restaurant I saw the waitress quickly give Edward a once-over and I rolled my eyes. Just because he was a vampire and had ridiculously good looks meant that every girl on the face of the earth was madly attracted to him. Personally, I wasn't as spellbound as the rest of them. While he did in fact look handsome, there was just a trace too much sadness in his face. His smiles didn't reflect warmth like Jake's did; rather they were filled with a hint of loneliness that just didn't feel right to me. The waitress gave us menus and went off on her merry little way.

"So what do you feel like eating?" Edward asked conversationally. I peered through the menu and came to one dish that I got simply out of irony's sake. Garlic chicken and Alfredo pasta. Perfect. As I explained my choice to Edward, he laughed.

"Hey!" I said, "Better safe than sorry." He rolled his eyes and the waitress came back and took my order and Edward of course, got nothing. As she walked away, his golden eyes were immediately on me, sizing me up uncomfortably. "So," I began. "What was going on this morning?" His eyes widened and he shifted slightly in his seat. I raised an eyebrow.

"Um…well…" He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at the table. "I just did something that displeased them," he said, "No big."

"Like what…?" I said, crossing my arms. He sighed.

"I had hoped to never have to actually discuss this," he murmured slightly under his breath, his fist clenching tightly on the table. I just waited patiently. After he didn't respond for a few minutes I rubbed my temples.

"Alright," I said in defeat. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine." I rolled my eyes and the waitress arrived with my drink. Edward was silent as she set it down in front of me, and as soon as she was out of earshot, he decided to speak.

"I promise, I will talk about it at some point in time. Just not at this very moment, okay?" His eyes looked almost vulnerable, and I found myself feeling strangely sympathetic towards this odd creature.

The rest of the conversation wasn't nearly as strained, thankfully. We got off the topic of his scolding by his parents and began to talk about nearly everything else. When I finished lunch, we thanked the waitress and left a nice tip. We walked out of the restaurant and got into his car.

"Where to next?" Edward asked, peering straight ahead. I thought about it for a second.

"How about we actually go back to Forks? I kind of want to decorate the place for my dad, since he'll be home somewhat soon." Edward smiled.

"Okay. Let's go then." We sped off in the direction of Forks, and when the conversation came to a slow standstill, I turned on the radio awkwardly. The song playing? Vampire by The Antsy Pants. I switched it to another station. This one was playing Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett. I switched it yet again to another station in frustration. This station was playing Vampires Will Never Hurt You by Fall Out Boy. I sighed and turned off the radio. Edward appeared to be trying not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I snapped slightly. "The fact that the universe seems to have a fetish with reminding me about the fact that vampires do in fact exist?" He shook his head.

"Nah, its moreso the fact that you get into such a little tizzy about it. It reminds me of a frustrated child." I glared at him. He rolled his eyes in response. "Oh please," he said with a smirk. "You are so not intimidating. You're 5'2 and you're human. I think I could take you." I crouched lower in my seat, crossing my arms and grumbling. Stupid vampire. I was intimidating. He just couldn't realize it. He poked my arm, and I bit his finger quickly. He looked surprised. "Isn't that technically my job to do the biting?" He asked, failing to keep a smile off of his face. I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing.

"True," I admitted. At this point, we were almost at my home, so when we finally arrived back home, I was hit by a small wave of nostalgia upon seeing my real home and my truck. I hopped up to the front step and flung open the door. It smelled like home. However, it looked like chaos.

My jaw dropped. Lamps were strewn everywhere; chairs flipped and papers scattered wildly around the room. It looked like a tornado had been in here. Edward arrived by the door, taking in the scene with a wry expression.

"Nicole's work, I presume?" He asked, crossing his arms. I nodded.

"That's the only person I can imagine doing that." He sighed and then was gone. In a flash, things began to be rearranged, and fixed with a white blur that I assumed to be Edward flying about the room. After about 5 minutes, everything was back in perfect order in both up and downstairs and it looked like nothing had been done. I looked at him in amazement.

"Ever think about going into the home-cleaning business?" I asked incredulously "I'm sure they could use someone like you." He laughed.

"That's not exactly my style," he said. "Let's get decorating for Charlie though." I nodded, still somewhat in shock. In a matter of an hour or so, all the fine china was out, and the house was decorated more cheerfully than it had been previously. I smiled at Edward.  
"I think we've done quite a job, if I do say so myself." I said to him. "Great job!" He looked at me with that smile that held a hint of sadness within it.

"It does look pretty good," he said. "We should probably get going to meet Alice though; she'll be getting out of school at any moment." So we left the house, and went back to the Volvo to meet Miss Alice. As we pulled up to the school, she looked at us with an almost paternally disapproving look.

"And where were you today?" she asked, tapping her foot, arms crossed. Edward rolled his eyes.

"I'd think you could figure that out," he started dryly, "Seeing as you are the psychic here." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You should think more cautiously. What if Nicole had ditched class too and decided to stalk you and Bella?" She said. Edward put his fingers to his forehead.

"I think I can take her on," he said sarcastically. Alice just rolled her eyes.

"Be more careful. Don't let there be a next time." Edward just shook his head as she got daintily into the car. We drove home with a Spanish inquisition from Miss Alice, as was expected. When she realized that nothing really interesting had happened, she simply elaborated on what had happened at school while we had played hooky. "Tyler and his bunch of cronies appear to be following Nicole," she said with a slight grimace. "And I don't think that Nicole would be greatly opposed to having one or several of them as snacks." Edward just shook his head.

"What could she do? She wouldn't want to attract attention; that'd get her found out and her mission for hunting Bella would be ruined. No Alice, there's got to be some other thing; think deeper," Edward urged. Alice frowned, the flipped smile foreign on her stony face.

"Maybe," She started, and then shook her head. "No, that's ridiculous."

"What?" I asked, "What's ridiculous?" She hesitated.

"She might be trying to, and mind you, this is only a guess, but she may be trying to be a succubus. She might try to seduce the guys here to do her own business, and basically do whatever she wants. It seems she's already got them under her own kind of spell." I thought about that.

"Well, I think it's unlikely that it's a spell. I mean, she wears miniskirts and high heels daily to a school full of hormonal teenage boys. That alone gets their attention. Plus the fact that she's gorgeous and flirts with them just adds to the fact." Alice shrugged.

"I honestly don't know Bella," Alice said. "I'm trying to figure this out so we can keep you safe." I smiled.

"Thanks Alice. We'll figure it out, however long it takes." She smiled.

"That's the spirit Bella! Now, let's make Charlie a welcome home dinner he'll never forget." We sped down the road towards my house, all ready to make a delicious supper.


	43. Dinner With the Dads

Second chapter of the night guys, just as I promised for being MIA for 2 weeks! Sorry (yet again) for not updating for such a long time, but as you can figure, I was wicked busy. LalalalalLOVE you all!

We arrived in my driveway, and quickly went inside. The china was already set on the table from Edward and I's earlier visit, so all that was left was to begin to make the dinner itself. As I began to take some lamb from the fridge, the phone rang. I picked it up as soon as the lamb was gently frying on the stove.

"Swan residence," I said cheerfully. "What can I do for ya?" I heard Charlie chuckle.

"Good to hear from you Bells. Just checking in before I arrived home; I'm bringing Billy with me, and we're going to pick up Jake on the way home. That okay?" I smiled at the thought of Jake.

"Sounds great! I'll just make a bit more food for everyone," I said, "When do you think you'll be here?"

"Um, about thirty minutes?" Charlie guessed "That sound good?"

"Yup, see you then." I said, and hung up the phone and turned my attention back to the lamb that was currently browning in its pan.

"Who was that?" Alice said, appearing suddenly in the room. Edward leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, a semi-curious look upon his face.

"Charlie called to inform me that he was coming home with Billy and Jake for dinner, so I should prepare more dishes." I laughed. I'd have to make more than just a few extra dishes; if Jake was coming over, he was going to eat at least five pounds. I did love my baby, but his appetite was greater than the werewolf that he transformed into.

"If that's the case," Edward said stoically, "Then we would probably be doing the best to leave." His tone went cold at the mention of Jake, which was immature in more ways than one.

"No, stay!" I said, "Charlie'll want to ask how the week went."

"And what do we say when he asks us why neither of us are eating?" Edward said wryly. My brow furrowed in confusion. I hadn't thought of that.

"Oh…" I said, my voice trailing off. I turned my attention to the lamb now fully cooking in the pan. "I guess then you guys better go." I got hug tackled by Alice.

"It's fine Bella! Don't worry, I'll kidnap you tomorrow and make sure that you get to dress up at the mall!" I rolled my eyes.

"Sounds like a boatload of fun" I said sarcastically. She just smirked in response. "So I'll see you tomorrow then." She squeezed a tight little hug around me and then waved, disappearing around the corner. Edward sauntered towards me, a half grin, half frown on his face.

"I'll see you later?" He said, running a hand through his hair, "Today was fun…we should do it again some time." And then, he was gone. I pursed my lips and shook my head at him. He was indecipherable, and I didn't even try to figure out why he was so cryptic. I just let myself know him, bit by bit, solely by the pieces of himself that he chose to show me. I continued letting the lamb simmer on the stove, and then I went into one of the cabinets and got out a sack of potatoes. I peeled them and let them soak in water before I finally mashed them. By that point, the lamb was cooked perfectly, and I put it on a covered platter next to the bowl of freshly made mashed potatoes on the table.

As I was setting water glasses on the table, I heard the door open. In came Charlie, Billy, and of course, my beloved Jacob. Charlie came over to me quickly and hugged me stiffly.

"Good to see you Bells," he grumbled, trying not to show his father instinct kicking in. I simply rolled my eyes. It was typical Charlie. Billy tipped his hat at me.

"Bella." He said as a greeting, and wheeled himself over to the table where the food awaited. He had no patience, and just began to serve himself. I just smiled and laughed. Typical Billy. Charlie released me, and I finally saw him; my Jacob. A smile broke out upon his face and he rushed towards me, arms open. I rushed towards him, and my smile instantaneously increased as soon as I was within his arms. I breathed in his scent and burrowed and nestled closer and closer into his chest.

"Bella," He said lovingly, stroking my hair. Charlie and Billy were forgotten; we were in our own little universe, separate from the rest of the world.

"Baby," I crooned. "How was your day?" He breathed onto the top of my head, sending warm flurries of his breath onto me. I got goosebumps from the sudden rush of air.

"It was good; but it's better now that I'm with you." I smiled and reached up for a kiss which he gave to me without a moment's hesitation. It was moreso two smiles meeting than a kiss, but the feeling of absolute happiness meant even more than the tenderness of a kiss. "Yours?" He inquired.

"I'll tell you after dinner," I said, not wanting to mention my skipping school in front of Charlie. Jake looked down at me curiously "Don't worry," I assured him. "It's nothing bad." He just looked at me with questions in his eyes and I laughed. "Really, there's nothing to worry about. Now, let's eat, shall we?" He nodded, and we sat down next to each other, across from Charlie and Billy.

Dinner went swimmingly. It was peaceful and full of conversation; Billy and Charlie both had horror stories from the Chief convention that they had attended. Apparently Jake's week had been boring; just staying with his friends, going to bed at the correct time, et cetera, et cetera. Somehow I doubted that it was as innocent as they made it sound. After all, they WERE teenage werewolves. Charlie turned to me

"How was your week Bells? Hopefully not too crazy?" I nodded

"It was fine Dad; the Cullens were wicked inviting and I had a great time. I told them thanks for you too, and I thanked them myself." He nodded.

"Good, good. Well, the game's about to come on. You don't mind cleaning up while Billy and I watch it, do you Bells?" I smiled. Life was back to normal.

"Sure Dad. Of course I don't mind."


	44. Soap Sud Battles

Gah! So so so so SORRY that I've been MIA-there should be a new chapter at some point tomorrow night {hopefully it won't be too late xD}Love you guys {as usual!} and thank you for continuing to read this. Hope you guys enjoy!

As Charlie and Billy made their way to the living room, Jake and I began washing the dishes; just like old times.

"So what happened in school today?" He inquired nonchalantly; out of the hearing of both of our dads. Jake put an arm around my waist, and I smiled and snuggled a bit closer to him.

"I played hooky!" I exclaimed happily. He rolled his eyes.

"Well aren't you just the little deviant?" He said, nuzzling my nose with an Eskimo kiss. "What did you do?"

"Well I had to have the vampire secret service escort me around Port Angeles, so Edward drove, but I just didn't feel like dealing with Nicole's crap today." His arm tightened around me slightly.

"You should have given me a ring," he said, his voice slightly tense with the mention of Edward. "We could have hung out, rather than have you spend time with some leech." I flinched slightly at the term, and he noticed. "Sorry Bells. But it is his fault you're even in this situation with Nicole to begin with. I almost wish you lived in La Push so I could keep you safer." I grimaced. What he said had some truth to it. He shook off the bad mood though. Well, as best he could. "So did you have fun?" He asked gently, trying to get out of his annoyance.

"Yeah," I said with a slight smile. "And I was very careful." His brow furrowed in confusion. "I ate lunch with lots of garlic in it." He broke out into a huge grin.

"That's my girl. Always taking precautions." I smiled and snuggled up next to him.

"Yup. I'm your girl." He stroked my hair and held me closer to her. Then, a devious smirk appeared on his face, and he threw soap suds all over me. "Oh it's on now!" I warned. "I may be a full foot shorter than you, but that leaves more of you to cover in bubbles!" He laughed.

"Oh really now?" He asked teasingly.

"Mhm." I answered, reaching for a handful of suds.

"We'll see about that," he said, picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder before I could reach the soapy sink.

"Not fair!" I giggled, still reaching for suds. "You have a height advantage! And a strength advantage! And a…Jake advantage!" He laughed.

"Sure, sure, make excuses," he said, while spinning me around. I laughed and laughed, deliriously happy.

"Let me down" I said. He ignored me of course. I sighed. He could keep this up for an hour and not be the slightest bit tired. Finally though, he gently stopped spinning, and moved me so that I was resting in his arms; nuzzled up to his chest. I rested my head against him.

"Thank you baby." I murmured. He dove his nose into my hair.

"For what?" he asked softly. I smiled.

"For just being you." He looked at me and kissed me on the forehead.

"Of course. Who else would I be?" He asked, and held me closer to him before lightly setting me on the ground. I smiled. We'd gotten the dishes done. Not the fastest that we ever had, but it was something, I suppose. I certainly had fun, which I supposed was what really mattered. We walked into the living room, hand in hand. Charlie's smile lit up the room, while Billy rolled his eyes but with a sly smirk of satisfaction. It was good to know that our parents definitely approved.

"Hey Billy," Jake said. "Can Bells and I go hang with Quil and everyone? There's gonna be a bonfire, and Bella hasn't been down in a while." Billy nodded.

"It's fine with me; just make sure that you get back before midnight. Sound good to you, Charlie?" Billy said.

"Yeah, it's fine. Go have fun you guys!" Charlie said, eyes still fixated on the TV. I think the one of the two teams was about to score a touchdown, but then again, what did I know? I didn't even know how to play football. Jake and I went out to the truck, and drove to La Push, chatting with Jake the entire way. As we pulled up onto the beach, before I could even hop out of my truck, he had arrived around the other side, and picked me up in his arms yet again.

"Jake!" I protested. "I am perfectly capable of walking." He snorted.

"Bells, I love you, but you're one of the klutziest people I know. And besides, it's dark and there's driftwood everywhere. I don't want you falling." I rolled my eyes.

"Jake, let me walk. I'll be fine," I said, pouting. He laughed at my face.

"You are so stubborn," he said, but let me down. I walked for all of two point five seconds before I tripped over a piece of driftwood. Jake caught me, but was laughing so hard, that he had trouble not falling himself.

"Okay. I'll be carried." He didn't say a word, but he just scooped me up in his arms again, still chuckling to himself.

"You are the most amazing girl I've known," he said, "funny as hell, and clumsy as god knows what, but definitely the most amazing." I smiled.

"Thank you sweetie," I said. "I've got a pretty amazing guy myself." He just held me tighter, and we got closer to the glowing bonfire, where Quil, Embry, and the gang awaited us. It was like coming back home in a sense. The people were familiar, and the atmosphere comfortable. I almost wished that I did live in La Push, that I was away from all the Nicole drama, and that I could be with my Jacob everyday. That'd be pretty spectacular. Maybe one day…


	45. Sweet Dreams

Told you I'd have it up at some point tonight! This might be my favorite chapter so far…I'm really excited to get the next chapter out {You guys will most likely get it at some point next week; not sure what day just yet though} Once again, love you guys, and hope you enjoy!

"Bella!" Seth said, waving excitedly. "It's good to see you." Leah nodded in agreement.

"It's been much too long Bells, don't you like us?" she said, a smile on her face, showing that she was obviously teasing. Jake sat down, and held me in his arms while I rested in his lap.

"Of course I do you guys! I just haven't been able to be around as much. Sorry; with Charlie outta town, I was living with the Cullens." Leah's eyes widened.

"Bella, you know you'd be welcome at any of our homes. It's not like the commute is that long." She said, with honest concern. I smiled.

"Thanks Leah. It was fine though. Besides, I didn't want you guys to have to get involved in some vampire stuff." Quil's eyebrows went up.

"What vampire stuff?" he asked suspiciously.

"Bella, what's going on?" Embry said, joining in. All eyes were suddenly on me. I sighed. Things were never simple with mythical creatures. It just wasn't humanly possible.

"It's nothing big," I said, squirming slightly. Jake put a stray piece of hair behind my ear and rubbed my back comfortingly. "This…new vampire just came to Forks. And she knows about the Cullens, and she knows that I have something to do with them. She doesn't know about you guys yet, which I suppose is a really good thing…otherwise, you guys'd be in danger too." Quil snorted.

"Bella, the last people you have to worry about is us. We can take care of ourselves. We're built to do it. You on the other hand…" his voice trailed off as he looked at me. He didn't mean it in an arrogant way; it was simple logic. Jake chose this moment to speak up.

"It's fine, Quil. Believe me, I've already talked to the bloodsuckers about it, and we're keeping a close eye on the situation. If something happens, we'll be taking immediate action." His voice was smooth, with no inflection of fear whatsoever. "For now though, let's not worry about that kind of stuff. Bella's got to deal with it everyday as it is. Whattaya say we get her mind off of it and give her a real good Quileute time?" The boys whooped and hollered, and Leah and I just shook our heads at them. Boys. I don't think we would ever fully understand them.

It was exceptionally warm for a late November night, or maybe it was the fact that I was in Jake's arms and in front of a bonfire. Whatever the case, I was comfortable, and watched the flickering tangles lick the salted wood and reach towards the bejeweled sky. The night was full of idiotic pranks between the boys, roasted marshmallows, comforting laughs, and small, sweet kisses between Jake and I. When the night eventually met its end, I was almost falling asleep. My eyes shut, and the last thing I remembered was the serenity around me; everyone laughing and joking.

I woke up in my bed, as Jake was laying me down in it and tucking me in. My eyes opened wide in confusion.

"What's going on?" I asked softly. I fluttered my lashes, trying desperately to stay awake so Jake could give an explanation. He shushed me with a finger to his lips; a smile on his face.

"You fell asleep, so I drove us back, and when I got here, Charlie and Billy were passed out in front of the TV. I think they fell asleep too." He chuckled. "I guess we'll be staying the night." I smiled, and moved over in my bed.

"If that's the case," I said, "Get in. You'll need someplace to sleep." One of his eyebrows rose.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea…if they wake up and see…" His voice trailed off. I knew where he was going with this.

"Them? Wake up? After I stuffed them full of dinner and they watched football all night? Please; they're good until at least noon tomorrow. We'll be fine. And since you've got exceptional wolf hearing, if they wake up, you just get up and go to Charlie's room real quick before they come up. No big." For someone who was ridiculously tired, I was making an awful lot of sense. A smile slowly crept on Jake's face.

"You do have a point." He said hesitantly. I smiled, and lifted the covers so he could climb in.

"Don't I always? Now come on; you've got to be tired yourself." His smile widened, and he got in. He pulled the covers over us, and he put his arm under my head for a pillow for me, and I turned towards him and his other arm went around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I fell asleep instantly, lost in his arms, caught in a perfect dream. I awoke the next morning; still in his arms, still in perfection. I glanced at the clock just over his shoulder, and saw it was 9:32. Perfect. We still had a few hours before Billy and Charlie were even close to waking up. Jake's eyes slowly opened as I rested my head back on his arm.

"That was a nice sleep," he said huskily, his voice just waking up. I smiled, and his arm around my waist pulled him a bit closer to him.

"I would definitely have to agree," I said, smiling against his chest. "I think we need to incorporate this into our daily hanging out." He looked down at me, a little bit of surprise on his face.

"Daily?" he asked, making sure he'd heard me right.

"Well of course," I said, "Now that I'm not living at the Cullens, I think you and I need a bit more catching up time. Unless that is, you don't want me to…" He snickered.

"Me? Not wanting to spend time with the most amazing girl on the planet? Yeah right." He nuzzled his face into my hair. "I'll take whatever you'll give me." I reached up and kissed him lazily. He kissed me back; gently, tenderly, waking both me and him up. Slowly, it became more and more intense, getting a bit faster and faster, but still wonderful and ecstasy-filled. Then, Jake's stomach growled. Loudly. I laughed and broke away laughing, and he did too.

"Well, I think we need to get you some food," I said, still giggling slightly. He just shook his head, and ran a hand through his bed head.

"That sounds like a good idea. Sorry I had to ruin the moment," he said apologetically. I kissed him on the nose.

"Don't be." We got out of bed, and I had him muss up Charlie's bed while I changed, so it looked like we hadn't slept in the same bed. I made my own bed, and when I came out of my room, I was instantly swept off my feet by Jake. I just shook my head.

"You're ridiculous," I reminded him, and he paid me no mind. We went down quietly to the kitchen, and I began making French toast, hoping the smell would awaken Billy and Charlie. It worked. In fifteen minutes, they woke up, and took their food quietly and drowsily while Jake and I stood together at the stove, just cooking a huge batch of food together; doing what we did best. We just were ourselves, together.


	46. Confrontations and Revalations Part 1

All I can say is thank god for inspiration. Without it, you guys would not be getting two new chapters tonight {Yes, there are two!}Thank you guys so much for your reviews, I appreciate them so very much! Now, I hope you enjoy!

The rest of the morning went swimmingly. Jake and I ate breakfast with Billy and Charlie, and they were too tired to really ask or care what the sleeping arrangements had been the previous night. We were extremely lucky. I was brewing a pot of coffee to further wake our two dads up a bit, when I heard a knock at the door. I stuck my head around the doorway, and Jake left my side to go and get the door.

He opened it slowly, and I saw his back tense, and his arms were quickly folded.

"Cullen." He said as a greeting, barely keeping a level tone.

"May I see Bella?" A smooth tone inquired. "It's quite urgent." It was Edward. I quickly started the coffee, wiped my hands on the dishtowel, and quickly made my way.

"Yes?" I said, slightly confused as to why he was here. "Is something wrong?"

"We need to go. Now." He grabbed my arm, and began to pull me forward, but Jake stopped him; pulling me back to him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jake asked hotly, slightly shaking. Charlie and Billy looked on curiously, unsure if they should interrupt or not.

"Um guys? Should we maybe settle this outside…?" I asked, not wanting to cause a possible battle in front of Charlie. While Billy might be able to guess why there was so much hostility, Charlie would not. Jake just nodded, and we went outside, tightly shutting the door behind us.

"Would you like to tell me what the hell just went on?" Jake said bluntly, his grip tightening on me, but his shaking slowly. He was getting it out, and having me safe at his side was hopefully helping as well.

"What just went on?" Edward asked icily, "I'll tell you. You were an idiot and possibly just endangered her life even more. She needs to get out of Forks. Nicole's done with toying with her; she's searching now. She showed up at our house, but we were unable to catch her due to her eluding us." Jake clutched me to him, breathing slowly, trying to stay calm. "She needs to go somewhere safe; where she'll be free of Nicole, and under more protection. Nicole wouldn't be such a problem if we actually knew what the hell was going on in her mind. Alice can't predict anything because she changes her mind too frequently, and I can't access her mind. It's a total blank, so we need to take greater precautions." His gaze narrowed, "So, if you don't mind, I'll be taking her now." Jake pushed me behind him.

"There are other solutions to this," he snarled. "And there's no way I trust her in the care of someone like you." Edward laughed coldly.

"Imbecile dog," he remarked. Jake's shaking began to increase, quicker and quicker. I threw myself in-between them, hoping to get their testosterone to stop flowing and to get them to calm down.

"Just wait you guys," I said, hoping to get a more…reasonable solution to the problem at hand. "Edward, explain it more in-depth and don't provoke Jake." He glared.

"Let's go to the house then." He said, "Don't want to possibly cause a scene." His gaze went to the house, where I presumed Charlie'd be watching. I sighed.

"Okay," I conceded. "I'll drive." I turned away and started making my way to the house. I called to Charlie. "Dad, we're going to the Cullens. I'll see you in a few hours." He nodded.

"Okay Bells, just be careful." I noticed there was an edge of worry to his voice. I tried brushing it off; hopefully Billy could calm him. I went back out, and saw Edward was already gone. Jake just stood there, looking distraught and silent. I ran to his awaiting arms and he sighed, burying his head in my hair.

"What are we going to do?" He murmured. I looked up to him.

"We'll figure it out. And it'll be okay." I gave him a quick kiss, and he smiled. "Now come on," I said. "Let's get going so we can make a plan." We drove to the Cullens slowly, and when we reached the house, Jake got out of the car and opened my door. He helped me down, and put an arm around my waist, holding me close to him. He wasn't shaking anymore. We walked up to the house, and Carlisle held the door open for us.

"Welcome," He said as warmly as possible. "I'm sorry that you have to visit under these circumstances however. Come in, come in." He brought us to the dining room, where the rest of the Cullens were waiting. Rosalie looked angry, and Emmett just seemed wary of her mood. I didn't blame him; Rosalie angry was not a pretty sight. Alice seemed frustrated; despite Jasper's attempts to calm her. Esme had a look of stress on her pretty face, but it eased as Carlisle made his way back to her side. Edward was furious. I didn't even have to look at him to know it; I could sense the tension seeping into the room.

"So what should we do?" Jake asked, his eyes casting a stare over all the vampires. Rosalie snorted.

"Isn't it obvious? We get her out of here. She's not safe, and neither are we." She said, looking at her nails. Edward nodded quickly.

"I agree. I'll take her out of the country. She'll be safe then." He said

"I'm not so sure that would be a good idea," Esme said, casting a disapproving glance at Edward.

"And why not?" he said, defensively. "I'm more than capable of taking care of her." Rosalie crossed her arms.

"No you're not." She stated. "You're too in love with her to do anything of the sort! If Carlisle and Esme hadn't stopped you from holding her while she was sleeping here; unaware that you were even doing it, who knows what else would have happened?" My eyes widened.

"Excuse me?" I said, in shock. Edward's face was to the floor; Carlisle and Esme were shaking their heads, along with Jasper and Alice, while Emmett just stood by Rosalie, running a hand through his hair. Jake began shaking.

"Yes. What. The. Hell?" He said, his voice rising in anger. He was making one-word sentences, and I could tell he was trying to calm down, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth furiously.

"There is no explanation." Edward said quietly. "Other than the fact I got consumed by my emotions. Bella had no knowledge of it."

"The hell I didn't!" I cried angrily. I was beyond shocked; now there was a small fire of fury brewing. "Edward, I tried to be understanding and thoughtful when I knew you liked me. But to defy what you know would upset me, I'm sorry but that's ridiculous. I can't believe you!" I was seething. Jake just shook his head.

"Cullen." The word was cold, harsh, and somehow furious. "You've crossed the line. In fact, you've gone far past it. Consider yourself nonexistent when it comes to Bella. Interject yourself into her life again, and I promise, you will deeply regret it." He took a deep breath. "I literally want to rip you apart right now. But I know that it's not an accurate solution to this problem. Leave her alone Cullen. You don't want to hear from me again." His shaking had subsided at this point, and he swooped me up in his arms, and brought me out of there. We got in the truck. "Drive." Was all Jake said. I did as he said, and we quickly got off the Cullens' property.

I drove to the high school parking lot; which was deserted and far away from their house. I cut the engine. It was silent.

"I'm sorry," I stammered, feeling angry tears rise to my eyes, and making my voice shake. "I had no clue, or I would have…" I shuddered. I still couldn't believe it. The audacity to do that. The mere nerve to even consider…it just angered me each time I thought about it.

"It's alright," Jake said, wiping away a tear that had fallen. "It's not like you wanted him to do something like that. It's not your fault." He pulled me closer to him. "I don't want you talking to him again though Bella. I didn't trust him before, and I sure as hell don't now." I nodded.

"Believe me, I don't trust him either." I shook my head. "I just can't believe that he would do that."

"It's alright," he crooned. "I'm not happy that it happened, but it's over now at least. Nothing we can do but move on and learn from it." I looked at him.

"When did you become so mature?" I said, staring into his eyes. He laughed gently.

"Since I fell in love with such an amazingly mature woman." He kissed the tip of my nose. "And while I'm pissed at the guy, I can't blame him for liking you. I'm lucky as all hell to have you." I blushed.

"It's more the other way around," I teased. "But there's just one problem with defriending the Cullens. What do I do about Nicole then?" Jake's brow furrowed in thought.

"Only one simple solution, in my opinion." I raised an eyebrow. "Well it's simple," he continued. "Get out of Forks."


	47. Confrontations and Revalations Part 2

"What do you mean?" I asked, somewhat dumbfounded at his statement "Leave Forks?" He nodded. "And you see no possible problem with this? None at all? Like getting say, Charlie to agree to it?" Jake chuckled.

"Bells, what do you think Charlie's reaction would be if he found out about Edward's behavior?" I winced. Jake smiled. "Exactly my point. You're his little girl. Do you think he'd want any kind of a possible repeat to that incident?"

"You have a point," I conceded. "But what about his job? He's the sheriff of Forks. Even if he were to agree to leaving Forks; which is very unlikely, what would he do for a job?" Jake smiled.

"You know, there is this wonderful invention called a car," he teased me. "And it magically transports you to places if you use this substance called fuel." I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed. "Silly Bella," he teased "I love you, but you're more silly than a three year old." I snuggled in his arms.

"Maybe this could work out," I pondered out loud. "It has very little of a chance, but it could." He laughed at me.

"Oh ye of little faith," he remarked. "Well there's no better time than the present to ask him. Let's go now." I winced. This could be the start of a very long night. We drove, his left hand holding mine the entire way. We walked up to the door together, hands intertwined.

"Ready?" Jake asked. I took a deep breath.

"Not at all. Let's do this." I opened the door, and saw Charlie and Billy awaiting us. Charlie looked angry, and Billy looked disgusted. "Hi?" I asked. "Did we do something wrong?" Charlie shook his head, as did Billy.

"You didn't do anything wrong Bella," Billy said. "It's those damn Cullens. I told you to be wary of them Charlie!" he said, his voice rising slightly. Charlie just stared at me.

"You just found out?" Charlie asked. I was confused.

"About what Dad? I don't know what's going on." I looked to Jake, and he looked as confused as I did.

"Esme called after you left," he explained. "She explained about what Edward," he said his name with malice "had done during your stay there. She told me that they had properly dealt with him, and that you just found out today. Are you okay?" He got up, and came to give me a hug; a comfort for him and I both. I went forward to give him a hug.

"I'm fine," I said. "But I don't want to deal with him."

"I don't blame you." Charlie said, "What he did was downright creepy. I can report him for sexual harassment if you want." I shook my head.

"No Dad, that's not necessary." The last thing I wanted was to involve the Cullens anymore in my life. "But I do want to do something." I took a deep breath. "I want to move out of Forks."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Out of Forks? Are you sure Bells? We can get him apprehended, and get this entire problem solved." I shook my head.

"I don't want to be here in Forks, Dad. This isn't where my true friends are. I want to live in La Push. You could still commute to work here, and we wouldn't have to deal with the Cullens. I know this might seem selfish, and I'm sorry. But it's what I want." Charlie whistled softly.

"Did not see that one coming," he remarked. "Well…it sounds kind of far-fetched…but, if it's what's best for you, then we'll do it." My eyes widened.

"Really?" I asked, in shock. He nodded.

"You'll probably be happier there anyway. Besides, me and Billy can hang more often."

"Here's to that!" Billy shouted, and we all broke out into laughter. The tense atmosphere had evaporated. So it was settled. We'd be moving to La Push.

The rest of the night was more peaceful; Jake and I just snuggled on the couch as Billy and Charlie chatted excitedly about where we could move in La Push. When we had to say goodnight, I just stayed in his arms until we had to go. I looked into his eyes and just smiled.

"Tomorrow." I promised. He just nodded his head.

"Tomorrow." He responded. I went to bed calmly and slept peacefully, with nothing but images of Jake in my head.

The next morning was quiet. Nicole didn't bother me as much. As soon as she observed that the Cullens and I were no longer a tight-knit group, she lost interest. She actually stopped showing up after first period. I guess the thrill of the chase had disappeared as soon as the Cullens' and I's relationship did. I announced my leaving Forks to Mike, Jessica, and Angela. They were shocked, and offered condolence, but when I told them I was moving to La Push, they were slightly relieved.

"Oh that's not too far!" Angela exclaimed. "You'll still come and visit, right?" I nodded

"Of course! It's not like I'm never going to be heard from again," I said laughing. "I'll obviously come and visit."  
"Good," Jess said. "Otherwise, who else are we going to go shopping with?" We all laughed. Mike didn't really say anything; he just stared at the ground. The rest of the day went pretty well though. Lunch was spent with Angela and the gang, and I didn't even look in the direction of the Cullen table. I frankly didn't care. I went to Biology followed by Mike and I sat in my normal seat; looking straight ahead, not even a glance in Edward's direction.

"Hello Bella." He said quietly. I turned to him, nodded, and went back to staring straightforward. "I hear you're moving?" I didn't move. "That's a shame; especially when you could avoid being in the company of dogs." He said bluntly. His words were like icy steel. My hand clenched. He noticed. "Oh, that upsets you? So sorry." I turned to him and stared straight into his eyes, my fury growing and growing.

"Get over it Cullen," I said harshly, "And leave me alone." I turned back to the front of the room, concentrating fervently on the whiteboard.

"So sorry, Miss Swan." He said sarcastically, "I do hope you will forgive me." I turned to him yet again, and then, I slapped him. His eyes widened in shock.

"Get. Over. It." I said, forcing the words through my teeth. "Leave me alone. I'm not yours, nor was I ever." I stared at the board, and then, Mr. Banner began his lesson. Edward didn't speak to me for the rest of the period. I went to the gym and played kickball; kicking the ball as if it were Edward's obnoxious head. I got a few homeruns from kicking it so hard, so at least I had an outlet for my frustration. When Gym ended, I went straight to my truck, and began the drive to La Push. Soon I'd see Jake, and all memories of Edward Cullen would be erased.


	48. Blue Bandanas

Well, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time, but as you can imagine, the holidays were crazy busy and of course, filled with food and family. Hopefully all of your holidays were fun and exciting! Enjoy the chapter guys!

When I finally got down to La Push, I had cooled off slightly. Oh I still wanted to bash Edward Cullen's stone head in, but I was better. I arrived in Jake's driveway, and he was waiting for me, arms folded with him leaning against the house. I smiled as I shut off the engine, and leaped down to the ground. I ran to him, and buried myself into his arms. He laughed softly.

"Well that's certainly a nice hello," he said, wrapping his arms around my body and holding me closer to him.

"You know what would make it better?" I said, looking up into his eyes, and stretching on my tiptoes.

"Oh I couldn't imagine," he said, playing along, a smirk on his face as he bent his head to reach me. The kiss was short and sweet, and went from one kiss to many kisses. But it soon transformed. Soon, quick little kisses became long and hard; filled with longing and pleasure. His arms went from around my back to around my waist and reaching and higher while mine went from his back to his hair. I pushed myself harder into the kiss, and so did he. I could feel his smile in the kiss for short fleeting moments before he succumbed to the need to return to well, quite frankly, making out. It lasted for a gloriously long time, until we were both too tired to move, and the night sky began to take its place. We sank to the ground, his arm around me as we just observed the coming twilight.

"Where's Billy?" I asked, just now wondering how we'd been able to get away with this little session. Jake nuzzled my neck, kissing it gently. Finally, he took the time to answer.

"He was out with Charlie of course. They're looking for houses up here for you guys to live in." Jake said. "So, we were extremely lucky."

"I'll say." I said, laughing. I rested my head against his chest, and he pulled me onto his lap and put his arms around me so I wouldn't be cold with the coming nightfall. We watched the night sky transform into a deep darkness with the light of the moon beaming down on us. I began getting drowsy, and snuggled closer to him. I heard a soft chuckle, and that was it.

I woke up on his bedspread, just curled up in his arms. He was resting against the wall, sitting up, just holding me to him while I had slept. I blinked drowsily and he smiled.

"Hello there sleepyhead," he drawled softly. "How was your nap?" I smiled, and burrowed deeper into his arms.

"Good." I said, and he laughed at my quick and somewhat sleepy response.

"That's good then," he said, an infectious smile spreading across his own face. Just then, clarity finally seeped into my brain.

"Jake? Where are Charlie and Billy?" I asked. I glanced out the window. It was definitely much too dark for them simply to be browsing houses at this point. Jake just shrugged though.

"I think Charlie's trying to get a claim for your house to be sold right now. So, they'll probably get back soon." He smiled. "We might want to get out of my room and off my bed if that's the case," he said wryly.

"Just a little while more?" I asked. "I've never really looked around your room." He smirked.

"You want to look around my room?" he questioned, somewhat confused. I nodded.

"It's getting to know a part of you," I explained. "That's important to me." He just shook his head.

"If it's what you want, I won't stop you." He said, smirk still on his face. I untangled myself from his arms and leapt off the bed to examine his room. He had a dreamcatcher hanging above his bed; made of feathers, wood, leather string and some beads. It looked like it belonged in a forest rather than a house, but then again, so did my Jacob. In a good way of course. I moved on from that though. He watched me with a bemused expression as I looked around his room. His bookshelf was in a corner of the room, and I scanned the shelves to see the titles that lurked there. I saw things like Orwell's 1984, Golding's Lord of the Flies, Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. It was a wide range of literature, and had a few random books thrown in, but overall looked pretty good. Of course my Jacob would have good taste in books.

I moved onto his closet. I slid the large wooden door out of the way, and nearly tripped on the bottom slider. Jacob tried not laughing. And failed. I ignored him, and delved deeper into his closet. I found a worn blue bandana that rested on one of the inner shelves. I brought it out to him.

"Why is this so worn out?" I asked him. His eyes widened.

"It's the bandana I had practically attached to my head for practically seven years." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's been a long time since I've seen that old thing." He looked at it and laughed. "I should just throw it out." He reached for it, but I held it to my chest. He looked at me curiously.

"I like it," I said. He laughed.

"You are so odd. You can have it if you want." I nodded. He looked at me curiously. "Why on earth do you want that ratty old thing though?" I hesitated before answering.

"Because…I'd guess it meant a lot to you if you kept it for such a long time. And, I'd like to have a little piece of you with me everywhere I go." He smiled and shook his head.

"Silly Bells. You always have a piece of me with you." He said.

"Oh?" I inquired. "And what would that be?" He smiled.

"Well, I practically gave you my heart from the moment I met you. So you always have that." I smiled, and rushed to his arms.

"Just like you have mine," I murmured. He just held me for a moment and looked at me.

"You really want the bandana?" He asked. I nodded, and began to wrap it around my wrist and tie it. He sighed. "Let me help you with that," he said, helping me tie it around my left wrist. When it was finished, I went back to inspecting his room. I came across a few pictures of his entire family; his sisters, Billy, and…his mother. I found a lot of pictures with him and Quil and Embry and smiled at their goofy expressions in the photos. There weren't many more decorations or things to be found, so we just made our way to the living room to watch TV for the rest of the night, or at least until Charlie and Billy came home.


	49. Power Outage

I am so so so SO sorry to have been MIA, but the truth is, I've been working on finishing this, and have FINALLY gotten the initiative to finish it. Hopefully you all will like the ending. Once again, thank you so much for all your support and reviews and favorite story/author alerts. You all have no idea how much this has meant to me.

We surfed the channels; going from a scary horror flick to a cheesy comedy show, before finally settling on the news. The announcer was going on about a new author that apparently just been discovered.

"And now, to introduce an up and coming author, well known for her wildly-selling love story, Stephenie Mey-" But unfortunately, (or fortunately, in regards to the announcer's obnoxious voice) his voice got cut off by the sudden power outage. My eyes were blinded by the overwhelming darkness. All sense of sight had disappeared, and I heard Jacob chuckle.

"Well I guess that the wind threw out a power line or something," he said, a smile in his voice.

"I guess so," I said, kind of astonished. "What should we do?"

"Hmm, we're in my house…alone….in the dark….what should we do?" He said, laughter threatening to fill his tone. I smacked his shoulder playfully. "We should probably get a light source of some sort; _that's_ what we should do" he said in a mock serious tone. He got up from the couch, leaving me by myself. "Be right back, Bells" he whispered, dropping a kiss on my forehead, although god only knows how he knew where it was. I pulled my knees to my chest while waiting for him to return with a flashlight or something. Suddenly though, I heard a long, loud wolf howl. Jake rushed back in the room, flashlight in hand.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, semi-frantically.

"Yeah…doesn't sound good. What do you think it could be?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said grimly, "But I have a feeling it might have to do with the power outage." I shook my head.

"Lovely. Let's go find out what it is then," I said, beginning to get up. Jake looked at me.

"Bella, if this is a wolf thing, then you should definitely stay here. It's safer here for you." I snorted.

"Right. Away from what's going on, by myself, and even more defenseless than if I was near the action? I'm not staying away. I'm always going to be with you honey. You might want to get used to that." I saw him get a small smile.

"That doesn't sound like that bad a suggestion, but I still think you should stay here." I looked at him, eyebrow raised. He sighed. "Not gonna happen, is it?"

"Nope."

"Well we better get going then." He shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. "Has anyone ever told you that you're stubborn?" I stuck my tongue out at him. "Well that's definitely ladylike," He crooned, taking my arm as we walked out of the house. "You know, it might be simpler if I ran there," He pondered aloud.

"Okay, so do it." I said, crossing my arms. "I'll just ride on your back." He rolled his eyes.

"Brilliant idea, Bells, but I've got to change first." He began to walk towards the forest, and I began to follow after him. He turned "…what are you doing?" He asked, a tone of embarrassment filling his voice.

"Coming with you? That way I can ride on your back or something when you run…?" I asked. He laughed.

"That's all good and well, Bells, but I need to change into a wolf after I take my clothes off so I have something to change into after I turn back into a human. And I'd prefer to do that in private if you don't mind," he said laughing. I felt a blush flood my face.

"Oh. Well then…come and get me when you're done," I said, staring at the ground. He laughed.

"I'll do that." He walked into the depths of the forest, and a few minutes later, a large auburn wolf came sauntering out of the forest to me.

"Awh, I forgot how cute you are in wolf form!" I squealed, petting his head, as he rolled his enormous eyes. "Plus you can't talk" I added. He licked my face in response. "Eww, dog germs!" I giggled and heard a barking laugh emitted from his mouth. He stood up fully, which I took as a sign to hop on his back so we could go to wherever it was we needed to. I jumped on top of him, sat so it was comfortable, and then wrapped my arms around his ginormous neck and locked my hands so I was secure. "Ready when you are," I stated, and he crouched slightly, then began to run.

The night scenery whizzed by us; trees blurring into an entire great wall of branches and trunks, the night sky peering down on us as the moon made the forest glitter and sparkle. We finally reached a circle of wolves, with Seth already transformed and dressed to greet us.

"Hey Jake; Bells," he greeted, a lack of his usual playful tone filling the air.

"What's up, Seth?" I probed, uneasy about his odd reaction.

"We've got trouble." He said grimly. "Vampire trouble." My eyes widened. "It'd appear both the Cullens and that Nicole chick are here."

"Oh dear," I whispered. I should have figured as much. "What's going on? What do we do?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"Well, it'd appear they're fighting over you. It's dangerous as all hell though. There's mainly a conflict because Edward wants you, and Nicole wants him; but would use you to get to him." My jaw dropped. I felt Jake growl slightly. I shushed him, and petted his neck. He quieted slightly.

"Using…me? To get to…him? Oh dear lord. When will they figure out I don't _want_ to be with him?" I shook my head. "This is getting kind of ridiculous!" I pointed out. Seth just shrugged.

"They're vampires. Of course it is. That's why its up to us to fix it. You game?" I sighed.

"Of course. Take me there, please." Jake grumbled, and I gave him a light tap on the head. He looked up at me expectantly. I smiled. "You dork," I teased. "Nothing bad is going to happen. Not while I have my baby here to help me." I nuzzled into the ruff of his fur, and I felt the muscles in his face pull back, along with a slight wag of his tail. I laughed. Seth just shook his head.

"You guys are making me sick," he joked, a smile finally appearing on his face. "C'mon, let's go teach some vampires how to play nice." He went back into the forest; changed back into a wolf, and off we went. When we finally arrived in the meadow where the vampires were lurking, I saw a tense standoff between the vampires. The Cullens were on one side, and Nicole lurked on the other, a vicious smirk on her face.

"Welcome to our party, Isabella," She cried with glee. "Now the fun can begin!" She twirled in excitement. This vampire seemed to be off her undead rocker. I knew there was a reason I stuck with the werewolves.

"Yeah, parties. Fun." I remarked. "Nicole, what's the reason behind this? Seriously, take Edward. I'm not interested in him at all; plus, I've got someone already who I love to death, and who, for some reason, loves me too." Jake grumbled at that last statement. I ignored it.

"I would, dear Bella. But it'd appear that he has rejected me on his own accord because of his inconceivable fascination with you." She said dramatically. I turned to Edward.

"Seriously? There's about to be a fight, between mythical creatures, because you rejected a vampire girl for a girl who's committed to her werewolf boyfriend? Is this seriously happening?" Edward looked at the ground semi-shamefaced. Alice nudged him.

"I told you this was ridiculous," she hissed. Rosalie laughed, as did Emmett. Jasper just seemed to be trying to remain calm, while Carlisle and Esme just shook their heads. I could tell this was not what they had wanted. I turned to Edward. He was still looking to his feet, as if that would solve any problem. I sighed and turned to Nicole. It looked like someone would have to take this situation into her own hands, and that someone appeared to be me.


	50. Good Night

"Nicole, can you hold on for the tiniest moment while I try talking some sense into Edward?" She nodded, and I stalked toward him. "Forest. Now." I practically growled. Edward's eyebrows rose in surprise.  
"You want to be alone with me in the forest? How delightful," he said, a slight smirk coming on his face. He sounded wickedly amused, but I didn't let that stop me. If anything, it was fueling the speech I was writing in my head. He was going to be read the riot act tenfold. I stomped on the way to the forest, and I looked back at my Jacob, who had a slight line of worry creased across his forehead. I smiled gently at him, and I saw him smile in response. He knew that I knew what I was doing. When Edward and I had finally gone far enough in the forest where we wouldn't be heard easily; even by the super vampire and werewolf hearing, I stopped. "So what's this little charade about?" Edward said nonchalantly. "You're going to try and convince me that Nicole is wonderful for me?" I turned.

"No." I said quietly. "I'm not going to try and convince you of anything. What I am going to do is talk, and you, you are going to listen for once in your goddamned existence." The look on his face went from amusement to wariness. He was realizing that I was serious. However, he didn't say anything. I took that as my signal to start. "You just think that just because you're 'Edward Cullen!'" I said his name with exaggerated exasperatedness, "that you can do whatever the sam-heck you please, and that you'll have no consequences. Well that's just not the freakin' case. You're not a saint, and you aren't a god, so you have no right to go around acting as such. Jesus, Edward, I have _**never**_ been interested in you, and I never gave any indication that could suggest otherwise. I was simply nice to you because you seemed like a nice guy. You 'say' that you care about what happens to me, but if that was true, then you wouldn't freaking do stuff like sleep with me while I don't know about it, and also put my life in danger. Think about other people for a SECOND, Edward. Do you think it makes me happy to have to come out here to talk some sense into your thick head? Do you think it makes me happy to have to see Jacob suffer because I have to do this? What about your family? Do you think that they're really happy with having to watch you obsess over someone who will never love you and has tried to be as nice as possible? Edward, I've made mistakes in my life, and I know that. But you need to take control of your own life and get over me. I'm not effing perfect, and it won't work out. Just get over me and move on, please. Think of everyone else, _and _yourself. And for god's sake, make the right choice." I finished my speech, feeling much better to have gotten everything off of my chest. Edward looked speechless. He shook his head and took a deep breath.

"Wow." He said quietly. "I guess…I guess I did kind of become self-absorbed." I bit back a reply of 'You think?' and waited for him to finish. "I'm sorry, Bella." He apologized. "I really didn't think, and….that really messed things up. Do you forgive me?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'll consider it. What I'm really more occupied with at the moment is what we're going to tell Nicole." I said, crossing my arms. He ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess…we can make a negotiation. One date with me for her to leave you alone. Does that sound…reasonable?" I nodded. "Let's go back then." He shuffled ahead of me while I just walked, practically exhausted by my speech. When we returned to the meadow, Edward addressed Nicole, while Jacob ran to my side and picked me up in his arms, seeing that I was close to falling.

"Nicole?" Edward said quietly, and she turned her attention to him.

"Yes Edward?" She asked, her eyes focusing on him and being oddly serious for once.

"I have a proposition," he continued. "A date with me. But, you have to leave Bella alone for the rest of her life." Nicole contemplated this.

"Do I get to choose where we go?"

"Yes."

"And the time and the length of the date?"

"Yes."

"Alright." She turned to me. "I guess that's suitable. Bella, it's been nice knowing ya." She threw a wink at me, and I nodded gently. Alice and Esme looked at me with concern, but I managed a weak smile. I was fine; it was just that when I got angry and let off steam, it took a lot out of me.

"Well then," Jacob announced. "I think there's been quite enough activity today. I'm going to bring Bella home. I trust you guys can take it from here?" They all nodded.

"Thank you," Esme and Alice said in unison, and came forward to give me a hug.

"I'll see you guys later, hopefully," I joked. They smiled and waved goodbye as we went toward the wolves. They looked at me curiously and I thought I saw a hint of a smile as they shook their massive heads. Jacob put me gently on the ground and went into the forest to change into a wolf, and then came back so I could climb on his back and he could bring me home. I barely kept my eyes open for the run home, but I know that I fell asleep as soon as he put me on the grass while he transformed again. The reason I know this is because I woke up as soon as he came back and picked me right back up in his arms where I belonged. I woke up on the couch in his arms when Charlie and Billy finally arrived home.

"We did it Bells!" Charlie cheered. "We found a place down here in La Push!" I smiled and stretched.

"That's great Charlie!" I said joyously. "Now all we have to do is move out and sell our house." He nodded eagerly.

"And the real estate agent said our house'll be a cinch to sell. Some author named Meyer is looking for a house down here; says she needs inspiration or something like that. You mighta heard about her on the news?" I nodded.

"Yeah, there was a short report until the power went out." I said, "But it's kind of getting late, Charlie. Are we going home or something?" Charlie contemplated this.

"Well…seeing as it is too late, and me and Billy were going to celebrate with a few drinks…maybe we should stay the night? If that's okay with you, Billy," Charlie said earnestly. "I wouldn't want to trouble you." Billy laughed.

"Of course it's fine!" Billy barked. "Charlie, you can sleep on the couch, and I'll sleep in my bed…but I don't know where Bella will sleep." His brow furrowed at the thought.

"She can sleep in my room," Jake volunteered. "She can sleep in the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor. There won't be any hanky-panky, I promise." Billy looked Jake in the eyes,

"You promise, Jake?" Jacob nodded. Billy thought it over. "I trust you. It's fine by me. Charlie?" He turned to my dad, and I looked at Charlie eagerly. His eyes scanned Jacob.

"I guess its fine. I trust you both." Charlie finally deliberated. "However, if anything to destroy that trust happens, then something like this won't happen again, you hear?"

"We hear." Jake and I said in unison. That night, we did as we were told. Jake made his bed for me, and changed into his pajamas in the bathroom while I changed into his clothes in his room. His pair of pajama bottoms were far too big and long on me and made a puddle of fabric around my feet while I pulled the drawstring as tight as it could go and slipped into an overly large t-shirt of his. I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed. I was a sight, alright. I heard a tentative knock on the door and answered.

"Come in," I said, and Jake slowly opened the door. His eyes checked me up and down in his too big clothes, and a big goofy smile stretched out on his face for reasons I couldn't fathom. The last time I checked, being in entirely too large clothing with messy and frizzy hair with an exhausted expression was not attractive.

"Heya," He greeted me. "You tired?" I nodded. "Well get your little butt into bed, and I'll tuck you in." He put some blankets on a nearby chair; to make his own little bed on the floor, I presumed. I did as he said, and he pulled the covers over me and I put my arms on top of the blankets. I took his hand and he kissed me on my forehead. "Love you," he murmured against my face.

"I love you too." I said, reaching up to give him a proper kiss on the lips. I could feel his smile in it, and he soon pulled away.

"I should make my own bed before I get too comfortable on the bed with you," he said and I smiled.

"This technically is your bed," I teased. He rolled his eyes.

"Nice try. But I don't think we should push our luck with our dads. Let's take it slow for the moment, eh?" He suggested with a smirk. I pouted.

"Fine," I conceded. "But move your bed so it's right next to mine."

"As you wish," he said. He made a makeshift bed right next to mine, and after he made it, he turned the lights out and went into it. It was quiet for a few moments until I spoke again.

"Jake?" I asked.

"Hmm?" He answered, his speech slightly slurred from exhaustion.

"Can I hold your hand? I'll just dangle my hand on the side of the bed, but can you just hold it?" I heard his sweet chuckle.

"Of course, sweetheart," he said. I smiled in the dark. I let my arm hang down and I soon felt his warm hand grasp my own. "Now let's get some sleep alright?" he suggested. I laughed.

"Agreed. Love you."

"Love you too," he whispered. It didn't take long until we succumbed to dreamland. And he was there too.


	51. Happy Freakin' Birthday

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright, if you're reading this, you have reached the last chapter of Here Comes the Sun. This is the finale, and there are a few quick things you should know before reading. 1) This is in Jacob's perspective. From the beginning of this fanfiction, I've desperately wanted to write in his perspective, and now, I finally am able to because I think that this chapter wouldn't be as…significant otherwise. 2) This chapter takes place when Bella is now in La Push, and this chapter is on Jacob's 16th birthday, which is when Jake will officially find out if Bella is the one he will imprint on. 3) I love you all; thank you so much for reading my fanfiction, you have no clue how much this has meant to me.

END OF AUTHOR'S NOTE: TIME TO READ

Today was the day. The day when I discovered whether or not Bella and I would be together, or if we'd be broken.

Happy freaking sixteenth birthday. No pressure or anything.

I sighed and went to my closet to pick something out. It had gotten freakishly cold in Washington for February, so I chose a red flannel shirt that Bella had picked out for me in the mall on our four month anniversary. She had been ecstatic to get it for me, although I didn't understand why, but then again, that was my Bells. She was silly and quirky, but she was mine. Well, she would be if things went as I hoped. I pulled on a pair of jeans with the shirt and stuffed my feet into a pair of sneakers before going to the kitchen for breakfast. Dad had made my favorite breakfast, which was a fried egg sandwich with bacon. Simple, but delicious.

"Happy birthday, son." He greeted me, a big smile on his face. I ate my sandwich, trying not to focus on the fact that by the end of today, both Bella and I could be heartbroken if I didn't, in fact, imprint on her. He noticed my tension and sighed. "Jake," he said quietly, "No matter what happens today, everything will be okay. You realize that, right?" I kept my eyes on the sandwich. He shook his head. "Is Bella coming to pick you up this morning?"

"No," I answered. "We didn't want to take the chance that she might not be the one and have us both upset. We wanted to wait until school started." She and I had spent countless hours talking about it; both equally worried and hoping that we wouldn't have to deal with depression in case I didn't imprint. No matter what happened, I knew that I loved her. But, I wasn't sure if that was strong enough to uphold an imprint. I'd seen what had happened between Emily, Sam and Leah, and I sure as hell didn't want it to happen with me and Bella. I finished my breakfast and got up. "Guess I better catch the bus," I said awkwardly, running a hand through my hair. "See you later." Billy rested his hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Jake" he said. "Everything happens for a reason." I nodded and took a heavy breath.

I made it to the bus stop with seconds to spare, and made my way to an empty seat on the crowded bus. Most of the kids here were freshmen and sophomores; there were few juniors or seniors, but there were a few seats here and there. As the bus puttered to school, my mind drifted away and I hoped and daydreamt about what would happen if Bells and I did imprint…and what would happen if we didn't. I shuddered at the thought of us not imprinting and took another deep breath. We finally got to the school, and I made my way to the place where Bells and I had agreed to meet with Embry, Quil, Sam, and Leah. All the guys would help me if I needed it, and Leah and Bella had already agreed to go off and calm down if we didn't imprint. Although, I don't know how calm either Bella or I would be if we didn't in fact fall even more deeply in love than we already were. I rounded the final corner to the corridor and saw Bella's back to me talking to Leah while Quil and Embry looked at me. Leah went silent when she saw me, and I inhaled sharply. It was now or never.

"Bella?" I asked hesitantly, and she turned around.

She was gorgeous. Absolutely stunning and heart-breakingly beautiful. Her big brown eyes blinked tentatively and I saw fear in them; fear of being rejected, fear of being broken, fear of…losing me. Her ivory skin was paler than usual but she was still the most surreal thing I had ever seen. The rest of the universe went missing and I concentrated entirely on her. She was my everything and more. All the worry I had had about not imprinting on her seemed juvenile; how could I not imprint on my wonderful Bella whose smile lit up the entire world and whose life was completely intertwined in mine?

She was mine, and I was hers. We were imprinted now, and bonded for as long as we lived, and I wanted to whoop with exalted jubilation, crush her to me, and kiss her for as long as possible; all at once. A smile of relief appeared on her striking face as soon as she realized what I had just realized myself.

We would always be together.

She ran to me, burrowing into my arms; fitting into them perfectly. I heard her crying, and tipped her chin up to me so I could see her expression.

"Why are you crying?" I whispered, looking into her lovely eyes. She blinked.

"Because…I was so worried," she said quietly, "So worried that you wouldn't…that we wouldn't…" She couldn't finish, and I held her closer to me.

"Well I did," I answered. "And we are. So there's nothing to cry about, is there?" I smiled at her and a symmetrical smile appeared on her face.

"Yes." She said, tears still running down her face. "Yes we are." I kissed the tears off of her face and then kissed her on the lips. "I love you." She said softly; her voice filled with more emotion than I had ever heard.

"I love you too." I said in response. "And I always will." She wrapped her arms around me.

"Thank god for that." She whispered. I tilted her head up and took another kiss; one of our millions to come during the rest of our lives.

The End.


	52. Sequel Introduction

Alright, after a few requests (and a bit of boredom with current stories) I've decided to make a sequel to Here Comes the Sun. I have no clue of its length, and as I write this, I'm still figuring out the plot and whatnot, and this time its going to have an actual PLAN to it rather than 'I'm going to freestyle each and every chapter and hope it works out!'. So, I hope you all will have patience with me, and I hope you will enjoy the new story.


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